News

Gout medication decreases risk of ALS and other diseases: Study

Allopurinol and carvedilol, two medications respectively used to manage gout and high blood pressure, significantly reduce the chances of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s disease, a new study suggests. “These findings suggest a possible new direction for repurposing or developing medications for neuroprotection,” Brad…

PatientsLikeMe ALS contribution expands free PRO-ACT database

The data platform PatientsLikeMe (PLM) has made its de-identified amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient database available to scientists around the world to advance clinical research in the neurodegenerative disorder. Part of a collaboration between PLM and the Neurological Clinical Research Institute (NCRI) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the…

Development of WVE-004 to cease after Phase 1/2 trial failure

WVE-004, Wave Life Sciences‘ investigational treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), significantly reduces toxic proteins associated with C9orf72 genetic mutations, but that doesn’t seem to translate into functional status gains in patients. Based on findings from the Phase 1b/2a FOCUS-C9 trial (NCT04931862), the company has decided to discontinue developing…

Some sporadic ALS patients have mutation causing other diseases

A sizable portion of people with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) carry a genetic mutation known to cause other neurological disorders, a new study shows. “This suggests shared risk factors among these diseases, shared mechanisms that cause nerves to die – and perhaps shared therapeutic strategies in the future,”…

ATH-1105 prolongs survival in mouse model of ALS

ATH-1105, a treatment candidate by Athira Pharma, significantly prolonged survival in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a company update. Consistent with previous analyses, the treatment also reduced neurodegeneration, inflammation, and the toxic buildup of the TDP-43 protein in nerve cells, which resulted…

Improving ALS, FTD research is aim of digital tool grant program

The ALS Association and the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) have opened a global grant program to accelerate the development of digital assessment tools for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a related condition. The Digital Assessment Tools for FTD and ALS Awards, backed…