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3 Biotech Investors Join QurAlis’ Efforts to Cure ALS

Biotech investors MP Healthcare Venture Management (MPH), Amgen Ventures, and Alexandria Venture Investments have joined efforts by the new private biotech company QurAlis to search for a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Research has shown that ALS is a spectrum of disorders with diverse underlying mechanisms. Similar to…

Kadimastem Plans Phase 1/2a Clinical Trial of Cell Therapy for ALS

The Israeli biotechnology company Kadimastem is planning a Phase 1/2a clinical trial of a cell therapy for ALS after regulators gave it the go-ahead. Kadimastem’s therapy, AstroRx, consists of cells called astrocytes that are injected into cerebrospinal fluid. The star-shaped cells, which surround nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, are derived…

Prevalence, Demographics of ALS Remains Steady in US, Study Finds

The U.S. prevalence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2014 was 5.0 per 100,000 people, which was unchanged from 2013, according to researchers. Men, whites, and people 60 and older continue to show the highest rates. The study, “Prevalence of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis — United States, 2014,” was published in…