NEW YORK, July 8, 1999 –

On July 4th a television station in Washington (KOMO TV 4) carried a story about a "treatment" for multiple sclerosis being promoted by a nurse in the Tacoma region. While specifics of the treatment were not indicated, it appears to involve a substance called "Procarin," administered through a skin patch.

Details of the composition of Procarin were not provided but the reports indicate that it is apparently based on an hypothesis about histamine, dating from the 1950s, that is not generally accepted.

He claims that Procarin can treat multiple sclerosis appear to be based on anecdotal stories from about ten people. We are not aware of any controlled clinical trials of this treatment; such trials would be necessary to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the treatment.

He use of procarin for treatment of multiple sclerosis is considered to be an unsubstantiated therapeutic claim. Individuals with multiple sclerosis who are concerned about this approach should consult their personal physicians.

APRIL 3, 2000

SUMMARY There have been a number of news media reports recently about a substance called Procarin, which is claimed to relieve a wide number of MS symptoms. Administered through a cream, which is then covered by a patch, the substance is a mixture of histamine and caffeine sulphate. The claim that the substance can treat MS is based on anecdotal reports to date, and the MS Society of Canada is not aware of any scientifically accepted evidence of its safety and effectiveness. The MS Society welcomes the news that the Procarin Research Foundation plans to fund a placebo-controlled clinical trial of Procarin in the United States this summer, although no other details are available.

BACKGROUND In recent months, information has been circulating via the news media and mailings to chapters about a substance called Procarin, which is claimed to relieve a wide number of MS symptoms. Procarin, according to various sources, is a mixture of histamine and caffeine sulphate. It is "compounded" ( i.e., mixed) into a cream by a pharmacist after being prescribed by a doctor. The cream is then spread on a small portion of the skin and covered by a patch.

Procarin was developed by a Washington woman with MS, Elaine Delack, who uses it herself. She believes that people with MS have a deficiency in a particular neurotransmitter that helps maintain myelin, regulates heat and emotional stress, stimulates gastric enzymes for proper digestion, assists absorption of vitamin B12 and the production of melatonin and serotonin. She believes procarin restores these functions.

Histamine and caffeine therapies were used 30 to 40 years ago when it was thought that MS might be caused by poor circulation to parts of the central nervous system. According to the Therapeutic Claims Committee of the International Federation of Multiple Sclerosis Societies, there is no convincing evidence of a favourable effect on the natural course of MS due to the use of anticoagulants or vasodilators (which histamine is) or of circulatory stimulants (which caffeine is), alone or in combination.

The recent claim that Procarin can effectively treat MS is based on anecdotal reports to date, and the MS Society of Canada is not aware of any scientifically accepted evidence of its safety and effectiveness. The MS Society welcomes the news that the Procarin Reach Foundation plans to fund a placebo-controlled clinical trial of Procarin in the United States this summer. It is hoped the study will follow all of the currently accepted standards of clinical trial design in order to answer the question of whether Procarin is both safe and effective for people with MS.