Fox News contributor Dr. Marc Siegel unpacks a report suggesting a drug used primarily for seizures and behavioral issues could help treat autism. An off-label prescription drug has been shown to help some non-verbal children with autism discover the ability to speak.
The drug, leucovorin, is a prescription vitamin that functions similarly to folic acid, helping to restore folate levels in patients who may have difficulty absorbing or using it, according to Katy Dubinsky, a New York pharmacist and the CEO and co-founder of Vitalize, a private supplement company. "Leucovorin is FDA-approved to reduce the toxic effects of high-dose methotrexate in cancer treatment and to prevent or treat certain types of anemia caused by folate deficiency," Dubinsky told Fox News Digital. IS MMR VACCINE SAFE FOR KIDS? DR.
NICOLE SAPHIER ADDRESSES CONCERNS AS MEASLES CASES RISE While leucovorin isn’t prescribed for the treatment of autism, some families have found that its off-label use has led to significant improvements in autistic children’s communication skills, experts say. Richard E. Frye, M.
D., PhD, a behavioral child neurologist in Arizona, has studied the drug in his research of experimental treatments for children with autism spectrum disorder. An off-label prescription drug has been shown to help some non-verbal children with autism discover the ability to speak.
(iStock) "Leucovorin is a special form of vitamin B9 that is water-soluble and does not build up in your body," he told.