Trials of ganglioside therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and diabetic neuropathy.

Double blind placebo controlled trials of dialy intramuscular injections of 40 mg of mixed gangliosides were carried out in ALS and diabetic neuropathy. Forty patients with ALS were treated for six months and monitored with tests of strength and pulmonary function. No effect of gangliosides was found. Forty patients with symptomatic diabetic neuropathy will be treated for three months. Some of the data from the first 25 patients to complete the study were analyzed in a preliminary fashion. While no difference in nerve conduction studies was found in the treated group compared to the control group, there was greater symptomatic improvement in the patients treated with gangliosides.