NeuroTalk Support Groups - Etifoxine (Stresam) anyone?

It appears that this drug is not approved yet in the US.

Here is a recent paper about it from PubMed:

Quote:

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Dec 23;105(51):20505-10. Epub 2008 Dec 15.Click here to read Click here to read Links
Etifoxine improves peripheral nerve regeneration and functional recovery.
Girard C, Liu S, Cadepond F, Adams D, Lacroix C, Verleye M, Gillardin JM, Baulieu EE, Schumacher M, Schweizer-Groyer G.

Unité Mixte de Recherche 788, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, and Université Paris-Sud 11, 94276 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre Cedex, France.

Peripheral nerves show spontaneous regenerative responses, but recovery after injury or peripheral neuropathies (toxic, diabetic, or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy syndromes) is slow and often incomplete, and at present no efficient treatment is available. Using well-defined peripheral nerve lesion paradigms, we assessed the therapeutic usefulness of etifoxine, recently identified as a ligand of the translocator protein (18 kDa) (TSPO), to promote axonal regeneration, modulate inflammatory responses, and improve functional recovery. We found by histologic analysis that etifoxine therapy promoted the regeneration of axons in and downstream of the lesion after freeze injury and increased axonal growth into a silicone guide tube by a factor of 2 after nerve transection. Etifoxine also stimulated neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells, and the effect was even stronger than for specific TSPO ligands. Etifoxine treatment caused a marked reduction in the number of macrophages after cryolesion within the nerve stumps, which was rapid in the proximal and delayed in the distal nerve stumps. Functional tests revealed accelerated and improved recovery of locomotion, motor coordination, and sensory functions in response to etifoxine. This work demonstrates that etifoxine, a clinically approved drug already used for the treatment of anxiety disorders, is remarkably efficient in promoting acceleration of peripheral nerve regeneration and functional recovery. Its possible mechanism of action is discussed, with reference to the neurosteroid concept. This molecule, which easily enters nerve tissues and regulates multiple functions in a concerted manner, offers promise for the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries and axonal neuropathies.

PMID: 19075249 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PMCID: PMC2629330

from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum

I will add that GABA receptor drugs have all been problematic so far. Either they cause dependency or don't work well, or lower the seizure threshold over time, so discontinuance is very problematic.

I recall the reports from Europe on memantine (Namenda). They were glowing for PN too, and finally when that drug appeared in US it really didn't work. So we'll have to wait and see. There is another drug called reboxetine from France --it is an SSRI type that was touted to rebuild the brain cells. But the FDA here refused to approve it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reboxetine

So it is hard to say how effective this drug will turn out to be at this time. All we can do is watch its progress.