| abstract |
A method for preventing and/or treating peripheral neuropathies induced by the administration of an anticancer agent of the family of platin compounds, taxanes, epothilone class, vinca alkaloids, said method comprising the administration in a co-ordinated manner to a subject suffering from said peripheral neuropathies, or expected to suffer from said peripheral neuropathies, an effective amount of acetyl L-carnitine or of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. In case of prevention, acetyl L-carnitine is administered to a subject, in view of the need of a treatment with an anticancer agent, immediately before or immediately after surgical removal of the tumor, but in any case before the administration of the anticancer agent. Acetyl L-carnitine can enhance the supportive effect of physiological NGF during chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, thus avoiding the problem of the local and general side effects of the exogenous administration of NGF which are a major problem of this neuroprotective strategy. |