THURSDAY, Nov. 17, 2005 (HealthDay News) -- The common anti-seizure drug valproic acid may also prove effective for treating lupus patients, researchers report.
In tests on mice with lupus, valproic acid prevented skin disease and reduced the severity of kidney disease, the study found. The results were presented Wednesday at a meeting of the American College of Rheumatology.
"Valproic acid may be a potential cost-effective disease-modifying agent in lupus," Wake Forest University rheumatologist Dr. Nilamadhab Mishra said in a prepared statement.
He said valproic acid has been on the market since 1983 and clinical trials using the drug to treat lupus patients could begin as early as next year. Since the side effects of valproic acid are already known, researchers can skip the safety studies and move on to clinical trials to assess the drug's efficacy in treating lupus, he added.
Mishra noted that doctors could now prescribe valproic acid "off-label" to lupus patients, but said, "it is better to have a clinical trial to prove that it does help in lupus."
Another study presented by Mishra at the same meeting found that mithramycin -- an antibiotic usually used against tumors -- reduced kidney disease in mice with lupus.
More information
The American Medical Association has more about lupus.
