Andrea Lobo, PhD, science writer —

Andrea Lobo holds a PhD in cell biology/neurosciences from the University of Coimbra-Portugal, where she studied stroke biology. As a research scientist for 19 years, Andrea participated in academic projects in multiple research fields, including stroke, gene regulation, cancer, and rare diseases. She has authored multiple research papers in peer-reviewed journals.

Articles by Andrea Lobo

Health Canada now reviewing Qalsody as treatment for SOD1-ALS

Health Canada is now reviewing Qalsody (tofersen) as a potential treatment for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who carry mutations in the SOD1 gene, according to the therapy’s developer Biogen. The Canadian regulatory authority agreed to review Biogen’s application for the therapy’s approval, with its decision expected in early 2025, according to…

Coave wins grant to advance gene therapy CTx-TFEB for ALS

Coave Therapeutics has received a grant from the ALS Association to support the development of its gene therapy candidate CTx-TFEB for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The grant, made through the Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Drug Development Program, is part of the $2.9 million the ALS Association…

PrimeC in ALS patients shown to extend complication-free survival

Treatment with NeuroSense Therapeutics’ PrimeC was found to extend patients’ time without complications or death, and to lead to clinically meaningful effects on quality of life, among those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The new data comes from the PARADIGM Phase 2b study (NCT05357950), a fully enrolled…

OrphAI’s AIT-101 granted orphan drug status in Europe for ALS

OrphAI Therapeutics’ experimental therapy AIT-101 has been awarded orphan drug status in the European Union for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), following a similar designation granted in the U.S. last year. In Europe, orphan drug status is given to medicines designed to treat life-threatening or chronically debilitating conditions affecting…

Committee favors EU approval of Qalsody for adults with SOD1-ALS

An advisory committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended that Biogen’s Qalsody (tofersen) be approved in the European Union under exceptional circumstances to treat adults with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) associated with SOD1 gene mutations. The positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use,…

Phase 1 trial testing prosetin for ALS expands to EU countries

ProJenX has been given the green light to expand its ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of prosetin for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) across the Atlantic Ocean to testing sites in Europe. The PRO-101 trial (NCT05279755), launched in 2022, is a three-part study evaluating prosetin’s safety, tolerability, and pharmacological…

TPN-101 improves ALS/FTD caused by C9orf72 gene mutations

TPN-101, an investigational oral molecule developed by Transposon Therapeutics, reduced multiple biomarkers of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, and slowed respiratory decline in some people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and/or frontotemporal dementia (FTD). That’s according to an interim analysis of a Phase 2a clinical trial (NCT04993755) that’s testing…

$400K ALS Association grant will advance CSF-1R inhibitor program

Myrobalan Therapeutics will use a $400,000 grant from the ALS Association — along with $24 million in new financing — to help advance the development of its oral CSF1 receptor (CSF-1R) inhibitor program, intended to reduce neuroinflammation and promote nerve repair in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis…

$20K gift supports Ball State work into C9orf72-linked ALS

A research team at Ball State University has received a $20,000 donation from the Todd Siebert Memorial Foundation supporting work into better understanding and treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) caused by C9orf72 mutations. Awarded to Philip Smaldino, PhD, a cell biology professor at the Indiana school, and…