News

Researchers have discovered that mast cells and neutrophils — two types of immune cells — are involved in the degeneration of peripheral motor nerve cells and progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). These findings also clarify why masitinib — an investigational therapy for ALS that targets mast cells…

The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) will host its 18th annual Wings Over Wall Street benefit Oct. 17 to raise funds for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research with the ultimate goal of defeating the disease, the nonprofit announced. Presented by Investors Exchange and emceed by ABC affiliate…

The communication between motor neurons and muscles, which allow us to control our movements, is more dynamic than previously thought, a new study with zebra fish shows. Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden discovered that adult motor neurons can switch their messenger, or neurotransmitter, in response to increased…

Half a year has gone by since disgraced pharma executive Martin Shkreli was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for securities and wire fraud while heading San Diego-based Retrophin. As founder and CEO of another company (then known as Turing Pharmaceuticals), in late 2015 Shkreli bought the rights…

Canadian authorities have approved the sale of Radicava (edaravone) to treat patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The therapy will be marketed by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Canada (MTP-CA), a unit of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America. MTP-CA was established earlier this year to distribute Radicava and other medicines for difficult-to-treat…

Personalized assessment and intervention with a specific communication strategy are key to improving communication in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dysarthria, the term for a group of speech disorders, affects 95% of patients with ALS. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), which includes aided and unaided approaches such as communication books…

Psychological stress does not appear to play a part in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with patients showing similar levels of prior stressful events, occupational stress, and anxiety as a control group, as well as higher resilience, a study shows. The study, “Is psychological stress…

Investigational compound EPI-589 was found to be safe and well-tolerated, improved biomarkers of neuroinflammation, and showed signs of slowing disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, according to a completed Phase 2a clinical trial. BioElectron Technology Corporation’s EPI-589, or (R)-troloxamide quinone, is a 250 mg immediate-release, film-coated…

Bulbar-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common form of the disease among patients 80 and older at disease onset, a factor that seems to contribute to shorter survival for these patients compared with younger ALS patients, a retrospective study has found. The study, “Very late-onset amyotrophic…

FUS  — a protein mutated in some amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients  — plays a key role in the mechanism that repairs oxidative damage in DNA molecules in motor neurons, a study found. The findings suggest a mechanism through which FUS defects cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and add to the…