Stroke miracle cure labelled as effective as placebo

A so-called miracle cure for stroke is no more effective than a placebo, a study has found.

The treatment, known as perispinal etanercept, involves injecting an arthritis medication into the back of a patient’s neck and tilting them downwards so it travels towards their brain.

Unavailable in Australia, stroke survivors have flown to the United States to receive the treatment, often at great expense.

But a trial conducted by scientists from The Florey has shown it offers patients no benefits above a dummy treatment.

It was thought to reduce brain inflammation and generated a lot of enthusiasm within the stroke community, neurologist and leading Florey stroke researcher Professor Vincent Thijs said.

“We had heard from stroke survivors that had undergone the treatment that there was improvement, but also from others that felt that it didn’t improve, so the jury was out,” Prof Thijs said.

Some 126 patients from Australia and New Zealand took part in the randomised trial, published in the peer-reviewed journal Neurology, with half receiving the treatment and half the placebo.

Neither group nor doctors knew which one they had until afterwards.

In total, 52 per cent of those who received the treatment reported feeling better 28 days later, compared to 57 per cent of those who received the placebo.

The difference in the results is considered statistically insignificant.

“Stroke survivors sometimes may read or see television programs where claims are made about miraculous treatments. I would hope that this tempers expectations a bit,” Prof Thijs said.

“Of course, every person is individual and has to make their own choice.”

He said while the medication alone was not very expensive, he had heard of patients paying as much as $50,000 for a carer, flights, accommodation and other logistics needed to travel overseas for the procedure.

Prof Thijs said there were limited options for patients seeking to improve their symptoms and some who had considered flying to the US decided against it after trial results were known.

“It is very, very frustrating that we don’t have drugs or treatments available,” he said.

“I would suggest if you can, participate in a clinical trial if there are any in your area.

“Because we always want people to and that’s how they can access the novel treatments that could be coming in the future.”

Stroke is the leading cause of disability in Australia, with some 440,000 survivors nationally.

Saran Chamberlain is among them and took part in the trial after hearing of people who mortgaged their homes to give it a shot.

She lost sensation in the left side of her body 13 years ago and worked hard to walk again; however, she still has no use of her left arm.

She felt better after taking part in the trial, saying she felt a “warm” sensation in her left side and as if her brain had “released” her leg.

But she said how she felt depended on keeping up with physical therapy.

“I don’t think anyone should stop anyone from trying to improve their life post-stroke – whether it be physical, mental or whatever,” she said.

“But I think you need to set realistic expectations.”

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