European multicenter trials of curosurf for treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome

Abstract

Curosurf, a preparation of polar lipids and hydrophobic proteins isolated from porcine lungs by liquid-gel chromatography, is currently used in European multicenter trials for prevention and treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). In babies requiring artificial ventilation with 60-100% oxygen, tracheal instillation of a single dose of Curosurf (200 mg/kg) leads to a dramatic improvement of gas exchange and reduced mortality, without increasing the incidence of neurodevelopmental handicap among survivors. Several factors, including high ventilator pressure and oxygen requirements, have a negative impact on the therapeutic response, suggesting that the patients should be treated at a comparatively early stage of the disease. Clinical trials testing this hypothesis, as well as the effect of multiple treatment doses, are in progress. © 1990 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.