More than a decade ago, the now controversial medication mifepristone showed promise for alleviating symptoms of service-related post-traumatic stress disorder in men.
A new study published Tuesday, however, counters previous research, determining that, in most cases, the drug used in medication abortions currently facing judicial review in the U.S. court system is no more effective for treating military PTSD than a placebo.
Results of a randomized clinical trial released Tuesday in JAMA Network Open found that, while veterans with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder with no history of a traumatic brain injury saw some improvement in their symptoms after taking mifepristone, those with a lifetime of PTSD and TBI were worse off at follow-up appointments than those who took a placebo.
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The Department of Veterans Affairs researchers said that while the improvement seen in those without TBI may warrant additional research, overall, the study, which was conducted to determine the safety and effectiveness of the treatment, did not support an argument for broader research.
“This study did not detect a signal for efficacy for mifepristone at 600 [milligrams per day] in male veterans with chronic PTSD. Thus, this study does not support a phase 3 trial of this population,” wrote the researchers, led by Dr. Julia Golier, chief of psychiatry at the VA Medical Center…
