ANTITHYROID PREPARATIONS (ANTITHYROIDIN-MOEBIUS AND THYREOIDECTIN) OMITTED FROM N. N. R.

Report of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry

The following report explaining the omission from New and Non­official Remedies of antithyroid preparations (Antithyroidin-Moebius and Thyreoidectin) has been authorized for publication.

W. A. Puckner, Secretary.

New and Non­official Remedies, 1918, contains a discussion of “antithyroid” preparation and describes two of these: Antithyroidin-Moebius (E. Merck, Darmstadt, Germany) and Thyreoidectin (Parke, Davis & Company, Detroit, Mich.).

The referee reported that these “antithyroid preparations” evidently have not realized the expectations of their promoters, and are viewed with skepticism by practically all critical clinicians.

Consequently, notwithstanding the cautiously worded statements of claims made by the manufacturers of Thyreoidectin, the Council approved the recommendation that this preparation (Thyreoidectin) be omitted from New and Non­official Remedies for conflict with Rule 6 (unwarranted therapeutic claims) and Rule 10 (unscientific and useless articles) (Antithyroidin-Moebius had already been omitted because it was off the market). The Council further directed that the general article “antithyroid preparations” be also omitted.

The Council having adopted the recommendation of the referee, Thyreoidectin is omitted from N. N. R., while the general article appears below, as a matter of record:

Antithyroid preparations are obtained from the blood or milk of animals, after the removal of the thyroid glands.

The use of these preparations is based on the theory that the thyroid gland secretes products which are toxic, but which neutralize and are neutralized by, other toxic substances produced elsewhere in the body. Removal of the thyroid glands would then lead to the accumulation of these second toxic substances as evidenced by the phenomena of cachexia strumipriva and myxedema. On the other hand, the blood or milk of such animals is claimed to be capable of preventing the effects of hypersecretion of thyroid substance, such as is supposed to occur in hyperthyroidism (Basedow’s or Graves’ disease—generally called exophthalmic goiter).

These views are largely hypothetical; attempts to give to them a rational experimental basis have failed, but some clinical observers report distinctly beneficial results in the milder forms of the diseases, and in obscure nervous disorders which are supposedly connected with thyroid hypersecretion from the administration of the milk from thyroidectomized goats and also from the use of the proprietary blood preparations listed below. The value of these preparations is very doubtful. The reported improvements may only be psychical or due to associated measures, as is often seen in this disease. Other measures of treatment should not be neglected.

Improvement is said to occur in two or three weeks and to be indicated by an amelioration of the nervous symptoms, tremor, palpitation, insomnia and excitability.

The administration must be long continued. Oral and hypodermic administration are said to be equally effective, but the former is usually preferred. These preparations are not known to be toxic, even when very large doses are used.—(From Reports of Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry, 1918, p. 50.)