Forest Ray PhD,  —

Forest Ray received his PhD in systems biology from Columbia University, where he developed tools to match drug side effects to other diseases. He has since worked as a journalist and science writer, covering topics from rare diseases to the intersection between environmental science and social justice. He currently lives in Long Beach, California.

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Two Tests May Be Better Than One at Predicting Survival

The two most common measures used in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) assessments — the ALS functional rating scale-revised (ALSFRS-R) and forced vital capacity (FVC) — can predict survival more accurately when used together, according to a recent study. Alone, these measures had a similar predictive ability, but the weak…

Trial of WVE-004 in Patients With C9orf72 Mutations Begins Dosing

Dosing has begun in a clinical trial of WVE-004, Wave Life Sciences‘ investigational therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) associated with C9orf72 gene mutations. “ALS and FTD are devastating illnesses where therapeutic progress has been extremely limited. Advancing discovery and development of new treatments…

Orphan Drug Status Recommended for Pridopidine in Europe

A branch of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended that Prilenia’s investigational therapy pridopidine be designated an orphan medicine to treat people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Medicines with the potential to become safe and effective treatments for rare, life-threatening, or chronically debilitating conditions affecting no more than one…

Partnership Targets Gene-editing Therapies for Familial ALS

CRISPR Therapeutics and Capsida Biotherapeutics have partnered to develop gene-editing therapies for familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Friedreich’s ataxia. Capsida specializes in designing virus-based means of delivering therapies to specific cells, while CRISPR’s expertise lies in gene-editing technology, particularly the CRISPR gene-editing system. “Bringing together…

$1M DOD Grant Supports AS-202 for Sporadic ALS

AcuraStem has been awarded a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to advance AS-202, a potentially disease-modifying therapy for sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a press release. The candidate therapy is designed to increase the number of lysosomes — cell compartments…

Studies Involving Masitinib Suspended

AB Science will suspend recruitment and treatment in all studies involving masitinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor being investigated for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and several other conditions. The voluntary suspension follows the identification of a potential risk of ischemic heart disease — a condition of recurring chest…