Marisa Wexler, MS,  senior science writer—

Neither memantine nor trazodone, two medications approved to treat other conditions, was able to slow disease progression in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who took part in a platform clinical trial, a study concluded. Based on the lack of benefits in the trial’s interim analysis, the two treatment…

The Scott-Morgan Foundation (SMF), a nonprofit that’s pioneering assistive technology innovation, will lead a new initiative using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to help people with diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to better communicate and maintain their sense of identity. “We live in a world where millions are…

People with higher levels of certain metals in their blood and urine are more likely to develop amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a U.S. study reports. Findings also suggest that, among ALS patients, higher metal levels linked with significantly poorer long-term survival. “By measuring [blood] and urine metal levels, we…

A brain-computer interface allowed Casey Harrell, a 45-year-old man with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) whose disease had made it nearly impossible to speak, to communicate through a computer that used his own voice. Harrell’s experience in the ongoing pilot BrainGate2 clinical trial (NCT00912041) was described in the study,…

Changes in how the SOD1 protein associates with metal molecules seem to be key for how mutations affecting this protein drive amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a study using a novel imaging technique. Findings represent “a very early step towards” new ALS treatments, while also showing “an exciting…

One year of treatment with the experimental oral therapy PrimeC led to improved iron accumulation in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to new clinical trial data announced by PrimeC’s developer, Neurosense Therapeutics. Previous results showed that people who received PrimeC for one year experienced significantly slower…

Clene will soon meet with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss the potential pathway to accelerated approval for CNM-Au8, the company’s experimental therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Ahead of the meeting, the company has submitted new data to the agency, including the…

A mutation in the IGFBP7 gene is associated with a very rare phenomenon in which people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have a reversal in disease progression and experience partial or full recovery, a new study reports. Because the mutation results in less production of the resulting protein IGFBP7,…

Treatment with a high dose of ILB, an experimental injection therapy being developed by Tikomed, was well tolerated and appeared to slow the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a small clinical trial in the U.K. That’s according to data from the exploratory Phase 2 study…

In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), nerve cells in the spinal cord responsible for inhibiting motor neurons are lost in the early stages of the disease, before the motor neurons themselves, according to a new study done in a genetic mouse model of ALS. The researchers also found that excitatory…