ALS Cellucci Fund runner Chris Benyo and his wife, Denise DiMarzo, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are competing in this year’s Boston Marathon using a custom wheelchair designed for the race. Illinois residents Benyo and DiMarzo make up two of the six people representing the UMass ALS team in…
Researchers have succeeded in using an imaging technique to record changes and inflammation in the brain of a person with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), using a potential biomarker of inflammation. The research, conducted at  The Neurological Clinical Research Institute (NCRI) at Massachusetts General Hospital, is part of the  TRACK ALS project to identify imaging markers of ALS, so…
An after-school study by two teenagers in Canada found that maple syrup protects neurons and halts the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in an animal model of the disease. While the study was intended for educational purposes, its discoveries that might be of interest to drug developers. The students, Catherine Aaron and…
AB Science recently reported positive data from an interim analysis of a Phase 2/3 study of masitinib, its lead compound to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).  The company also held a web conference with leading ALS experts on April 8, followed by a report summarizing the ongoing trial. Masitinib is a…
Molecular Stethoscope, Inc., announced it is working with 23 U.S. academic and medical institutions to further validate its blood-based early diagnostic and disease monitoring tests for hard-to-detect conditions, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) . The San Diego, California-based, company has developed proprietary technology that uses circulating cell-free RNA (ribonucleic acid) in the blood to…
Researchers created a mobile cart device allowing people to communicate via laptops by eye movement alone. The device was designed with severely disabled tetraplegic patients in mind, but it may also help those with decreased upper extremity and hand function, like that caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), to more easily work with a computer. Shannon…
Origent Data Sciences, Inc., and Cytokinetics, Inc., announced a new research partnership to further refine and validate an Origent computer model to predict the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in patients — a progression that widely varies, making effective clinical trials difficult and costly — by leveraging data from previous and…
AB Science announced that its Phase 2/3 clinical trial evaluating masitinib, the company’s lead compound to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, has met its primary objective. The ongoing study is currently recruiting participants and expects to finish in June 2017. “The positive outcome of this study in ALS is a significant milestone…
Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals announced that it will initiate a second Phase 2 clinical trial of its investigational drug candidate NP001 for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with the intent of confirming positive earlier findings in patients with elevated levels of baseline inflammation and further evaluating the drug’s efficacy. Inflammation is thought to be a…
Leaders in the field of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) – a technology that can help derive motor neurons from people who suffer from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – have published a cutting-edge review, identifying advances and challenges in ALS modeling ability and calling for the development and adoption of rigorous criteria…
