Joana Fernandes, PhD,  —

Mallinckrodt has launched the Phase 2b PENNANT trial (NCT03068754) to investigate the safety and effectiveness of H.P. Acthar Gel (repository corticotropin injection) as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The H.P. Acthar Gel is an experimental injectable drug that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast…

ALS patients compensate for neuron loss in some brain regions by stepping up activity in other regions, according to a study. The finding suggests that analyzing patients’ brain networks could help doctors determine the state of their disease and monitor its progression. The study, “Functional reorganization during cognitive function…

ProMIS Neurosciences hopes to develop an ALS therapy around a component of a protein that is faulty in the disease. The TDP43 protein’s abnormality leads to it becoming misfolded — that is, it not having a normal structure — in both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). ProMIS thinks it can eliminate…

Mindfulness-based programs may help improve anxiety and depression in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to results of a study published recently in the European Journal of Neurology. The study is titled “Meditation training for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a randomized clinical trial.” The journal also published…

Mutations in the UBQLN4 gene may contribute to the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to recent research. The study, “A novel ALS-associated variant in UBQLN4 regulates motor axon morphogenesis,” was published in the journal eLife. Over the years, researchers have identified numerous genes linked to ALS, but the list…

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and schizophrenia may be caused by similar gene mutations that affect the way neurons work, according to new research. Researchers found that 14.3 percent of the genetic variations linked to ALS were also present in people with schizophrenia, suggesting the diseases may be related. The study,…

Mutations in the FUS gene, which are the major cause of juvenile forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are linked to the loss of motor neurons. European researchers have now found that these mutations also affect other cell types in the brain. The French-German study, “Motor neuron intrinsic and extrinsic…

Suppressing the expression of a protein called ataxin-2 may prolong survival in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a recent mouse study. The study, “Therapeutic Reduction Of Ataxin-2 Extends Lifespan And Reduces Pathology In TDP-43 Mice,” was published in the journal Nature. According to researchers, nearly…

Genervon Biopharmaceuticals has published the results of a somewhat promising Phase 2a clinical trial investigating the effects of GM604 (or GM6) in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, “A Phase 2A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial of GM604 in patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS Protocol GALS-001)…

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients follow no distinct swallowing pattern, and this may account for the development of swallowing difficulties over time that can lead to life-threatening choking, a study reports. The research, “The Importance Of The Reproducibility Of Oropharyngeal Swallowing In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: An Electrophysiological Study,” was…