Lindsey Shapiro, PhD,  science writer—

Early activation of certain cellular stress response pathways may help prevent the death of motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with FUS mutations, according to a recent study. In particular, heat shock response (HSR) pathways and the integrated stress response (ISR) were increased in patient-derived motor neurons…

A small Phase 2 clinical trial is evaluating the safety and tolerability of investigational treatment candidate EPI-589 in adults with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The EPIC-ALS trial (jRCT2061210031), being conducted in Japan, will also assess exploratory effectiveness outcomes after six months of treatment. Data collection began in September…

The Phase 2b trial testing PrimeC in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) will no longer enroll patients in the U.S., its maker NeuroSense Therapeutics has announced. Meanwhile, the company has been given the green light from regulatory agencies in Germany and Canada to enroll new participants,…

A Phase 1/2 clinical trial testing the investigational imaging agent 18F-OP-801 in healthy volunteers and people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has enrolled its first patient. Ashvattha Therapeutics‘ agent is designed to detect inflammation in imaging exams like positron emission tomography (PET) or MRI scans. This is possible…

Adding a skin patch containing a Chinese herb mixture called Ji Wu Li (JWL) to standard medications significantly slowed disease progression in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to data from a randomized clinical trial. In the trial, called ALS-CHEPLA (ChiCTR200037353), the benefits of the herbal treatment emerged…

Researchers have developed a brain-machine interface (BMI) that could someday facilitate communication for people who have lost their ability to speak, including those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). After being trained to recognize certain patterns of nerve cell activity, the BMI could accurately predict the words a person with…

Veterans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are calling for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to hold a public advisory committee meeting to discuss the benefits of NurOwn — an investigational cell-based therapy that military service members say has slowed their disease. The request follows the regulatory…

A Phase 1/2 clinical trial is investigating the long-term safety and tolerability of BIIB105, Biogen‘s investigational treatment targeting the ataxin-2 protein, in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Called ALSpire (NCT04494256), the trial is currently recruiting adults with ALS at 12 sites in the U.S., Canada, and…

The investigational cell-based therapy NurOwn may slow disease progression in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who have less severe disease, according to analyses from a Phase 3 trial. Researchers’ analyses excluded patients with the lowest scores on the ALS Functional Rating Scale–Revised (ALSFRS-R) or in individual…

Early declines in neurofilament light chain (NfL), a biomarker of nerve cell damage, after treatment with tofersen may predict a slower disease progression over time in people with SOD1-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Patients who received tofersen early also experienced a significantly slower worsening of clinical function than…