Efficacy and Safety of Alprostadil in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease Fontaine Stage IV: Results of a Placebo Controlled Randomised Multicentre Trial (ESPECIAL).

In this study, superiority of alprostadil over placebo could not be shown. Nevertheless, a slight numerical but not clinically relevant advantage for alprostadil emerged from the "area decrease of ulcers by ≥ 50%," indicating that a healing effect may have started. The results have to be considered in the light of several limitations in study design and conduct.