Much heralded medication for autism is ineffective

A drug thought to work marvels on autistic children has no more effect than a placebo, according to a Yale psychiatrist. In an editorial commenting on a study published Dec. 9 in The New England Journal of Medicine which found secretin no more effective than a placebo, Fred Volkmar, M.D., professor of child psychiatry, noted the considerable interest in the use of secretin, a hormone used to treat gastrointestinal problems, generated by the media. “There is no evidence that it works,” Volkmar said. “There is no reason to think that it would have worked in the first place.” Autism, which affects one child in 2,000, is a brain disorder that results in impaired or delayed social and communication skills. There is no known cure, but early educational and behavioral intervention can significantly facilitate outcome.