Vanda Pinto, PhD, science writer —

​​Vanda is a biochemist with a PhD in biomedicine from the University of Porto, Portugal. She conducted her postdoctoral research first at the Bristol Medical School, U.K., studying the insulin-PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in diabetic nephropathy, then at the Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, where her focus was on glycosylation in lupus nephritis and inflammatory bowel disease. She next made the switch to science publishing, handling papers in biochemistry, molecular biology, and immunology.

Articles by Vanda Pinto

FDA Puts APB-102 Gene Therapy for SOD1 ALS on Fast Track

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast track status to Apic Bio’s experimental therapy APB-102, designed for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients who carry mutations in the SOD1 gene that lead to misfolded proteins in cells. This designation accelerates the development of investigational therapies that…

Doddie Foundation Gives £500,000 to Support UK Research Fund

A £500,000 (almost $700,000) grant the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation was given to the LifeArc & MND Association Translational Research Fund to support work that might lead to new treatments for motor neuron diseases (MND), including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The fund, jointly established by LifeArc…

Amylyx Secures Funding for Therapy Candidate AMX0035

Amylyx Pharmaceuticals has raised $135 million to advance the clinical development and the potential launch of its lead candidate AMX0035 for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The Series C financing round, led by Viking Global Investors, also will be used to support further research and…

FDA Grants Orphan Drug Designation to Pridopidine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to Prilenia’s pridopidine for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The decision follows a recent positive opinion from a branch of the European Medicines Agency recommending the treatment be given orphan drug status in…

Orphan Drug Status Sought for Ketamine as Potential ALS Therapy

PharmaTher has filed an application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting that ketamine be designated an orphan drug as a potential treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Orphan drug status is granted by the FDA to encourage the development of therapies for conditions that affect fewer…

SLS-005 Earns Orphan Drug Status in Europe

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has granted orphan drug designation to Seelos Therapeutics‘ investigational therapy SLS-005 for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the company announced in a press release. Orphan drug status in Europe is given to medicines with the potential to be safe and…