COULD a drug reverse the symptoms of autism? The results of the latest clinical trial are mixed.

At a meeting last week, Seaside Therapeutics, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, presented the results of the largest ever clinical trial of a drug for autism. Called arbaclofen, or STX209, it works by damping down excessive brain activity– a hallmark of autism.

For 12 weeks, 150 people with autism, aged between 5 and 21, received either arbaclofen or a placebo. While the drug failed make any impact on social withdrawal, its main clinical target, it did make recipients more able to respond appropriately to other people.

“We strongly believe that STX209 is associated with a real efficacy signal,” says Randall Carpenter, Seaside’s CEO. “We are very hopeful the next trial will have positive results.”

This article appeared in print under the headline “Autism drug hope”