News

Two independent teams of scientists have unraveled the molecular mechanism by which abnormal localization of the TDP-43 protein, which is characteristic of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), leads to reduced levels of another protein, called UNC13A, that is important for nerve cell function. The results also show that certain variations…

Amylyx Pharmaceuticals has launched an expanded access program (EAP) in the U.S. that enables eligible adults with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to access the company’s experimental treatment, AMX0035. To be eligible for the program (NCT05286372), patients must have experienced their first signs of weakness three years or…

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC) is seeking approval to manufacture and market MT-1186, an oral formulation of edaravone, in Japan for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A similar application recently gained priority review in the U.S., which reduced regulatory review time from the standard 10 months to six months. A…

Healthcare providers involved in diagnosing and treating rare diseases believe that increased physician education and collaboration with specialized facilities will have the greatest positive impact on treating these conditions over the next five years, according to results from a 2021 survey. Definitive Healthcare, a healthcare commercial intelligence company, conducted…

Treatment with the cell therapy NurOwn may slow the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for those with a specific variation in the UNC13A gene that is linked with a high risk of the disease. Merit Cudkowicz, MD, chief of neurology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, shared the…

Treatment with Clene Nanomedicine’s experimental medicine CNM-Au8 may decrease the risk of disease progression or death in people with early amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to new analyses from the RESCUE-ALS clinical trial. Data also suggest that the therapy helped to prevent the loss of motor neurons in…

An ambitious Irish research project, called Precision ALS, will combine clinical research, data science, and artificial intelligence (AI) to identify the multiple — and potentially targetable — factors involved in the development and progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The goal is to use this information to determine which treatments…

Exposure to certain toxic compounds — including beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), formaldehyde, and heavy metals like manganese, mercury, and zinc — increases the likelihood of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a review paper. Its authors argue that with BMAA — a toxic compound made by algae — enough evidence…

Patient registries are a hot topic of rare disease research and many organizations are taking advantage of this resource by signing up their patient communities and connecting with researchers. Eric Sid, MD, program officer for the Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR), said it is difficult to estimate how…

University of Sydney neurologist Matthew Kiernan, PhD, has been granted the 2022 Sheila Essey Award for his groundbreaking research, aimed at providing earlier diagnoses and better treatments for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Kiernan, a world-leading expert in the field of ALS research, is the first Australian to…