News

ALS Association, Cytokinetics Renew Partnership in Fight Against ALS

The ALS Association and Cytokinetics will continue to collaborate in the fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) through a series of initiatives and research efforts, the organizations recently announced. As part of this partnership, biopharmaceutical company Cytokinetics is renewing its sponsorship of nationally recognized ALS Association events, including the National…

#AAN2018 — ALS Treatment Candidate MN-166 Delays Disease Worsening, Improves Survival, Trial Shows

MediciNova’s investigational therapy MN-166 (ibudilast) was able to delay disease worsening and improve survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, updated data from a Phase 2 clinical trial show. The study, “Ibudilast — Phosphodiesterase Type 4 Inhibitor — Bi-Modal Therapy with Riluzole in Early [Not…

#AAN2018 — NP001 Fails to Improve Disease Severity, Pulmonary Function in ALS Patients, Phase 2 Trial Shows

Investigational therapy NP001 failed to improve disease severity and pulmonary function in a Phase 2 confirmatory trial for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with elevated levels of systemic inflammation, Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals announced. The findings, showing the trial failed to meet its primary and secondary goals, were recently shared during the…

New Company, MAGiQ, Aims to Develop Stem Cell Therapies for ALS and Like Diseases

A new Japanese joint venture company called MAGiQ Therapeutics — the result of a collaboration between Q Therapeutics and Reprocell — aims to develop cell and gene therapies for demyelinating and degenerative diseases of the central nervous system. Among the first diseases its efforts will target is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a…

#AAN2018 – Diet Rich in Essential Omega-3 Fatty Acid Linked to Lower ALS Risk in Study

A diet that includes foods rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids like alpha-linolenic acid — an essential plant-derived fatty acid found in flaxseed, canola, and other oils — is linked to a lower risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), researchers report. But their work also found that diets rich in arachidonic…

European Agency Issues Negative Opinion on Marketing Authorization for Masitinib in ALS

The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) issued a negative opinion on the conditional marketing authorization of masitinib for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the therapy’s maker, AB Science, recently announced in a press release. Masitinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) being developed by AB Science to treat symptoms of…

#AAN2018 – New Molecular Therapies May Be Treatment Strategy for ALS, Study Suggests

New antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) molecular therapies targeting the most common gene mutation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia reduced brain disease hallmarks in a mouse study, researchers found. The study, “Stereopure Antisense Oligonucleotides Preferentially Knockdown G4C2 Repeat-Containing C9ORF72 Transcripts: A Potential Therapeutic Approach for the Treatment…