News

The ALS Association and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) announced the 2016 winners of its Clinical Research Training Fellowship and Clinician-Scientist Development Award in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research. The awards are given annually to young clinicians who propose promising and innovative ALS studies, both to foster their professional development…

Lauren Sciences, LLC, which specializes in medicines for neurodegenerative disorders using its V-Smart drug delivery platform, announced that it has received a second grant from the ALS Association to continue developing LAUR-301, a V-Smart nanomedicine targeting brain areas affected by motor neuron death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). LAUR-301, developed using the V-Smart platform nanotechnology, is…

The ALS Association and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) have chosen Professor Ammar Al-Chalabi of King’s College London to receive the 2016 Sheila Essey Award, honoring his contributions to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research and treatment. Ammar Al-Chalabi Dr. Al-Chalabi will be given the…

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…