News

US Patient Groups Give Thumbs-Up to Rule Against Surprise Billing

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is applauding the Biden administration for announcing a rule to protect consumers from surprise medical billing, in a joint statement with 26 other U.S. patient organizations. The interim final rule will implement patient protections required by the No Surprises Act. Surprise…

Every ALS Patient in New Jersey to Get Free Eye Gaze Technology

Thanks to a new partnership, every amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient in New Jersey, about 400 in total, will have free access to eye gaze technology that can aid them in communicating. As the name suggests, this assistive technology helps people with neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS, to communicate…

Doddie Foundation Gives £500,000 to Support UK Research Fund

A £500,000 (almost $700,000) grant the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation was given to the LifeArc & MND Association Translational Research Fund to support work that might lead to new treatments for motor neuron diseases (MND), including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The fund, jointly established by LifeArc…

Amylyx Secures Funding for Therapy Candidate AMX0035

Amylyx Pharmaceuticals has raised $135 million to advance the clinical development and the potential launch of its lead candidate AMX0035 for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The Series C financing round, led by Viking Global Investors, also will be used to support further research and…

Trial of WVE-004 in Patients With C9orf72 Mutations Begins Dosing

Dosing has begun in a clinical trial of WVE-004, Wave Life Sciences‘ investigational therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) associated with C9orf72 gene mutations. “ALS and FTD are devastating illnesses where therapeutic progress has been extremely limited. Advancing discovery and development of new treatments…

Sperogenix Acquires Rights in China to Develop ABSK021

A subsidiary of Sperogenix Therapeutics has acquired exclusive rights to develop and commercialize ABSK021, an investigational oral therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other rare neurological diseases in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao. Under the terms of the agreement between Sperogenix MedTech and Abbisko Therapeutics, the therapy’s…

Partnership Aims to Lower Out-of-Pocket Costs for Rare Disease Meds

AllianceRx Walgreens Prime, a specialty and home delivery pharmacy, is partnering with TailorMed, a healthcare technology company, to help lower out-of-pocket prescription costs for specialty pharmacy patients. Medications attained through specialty pharmacies are those used to treat rare and chronic conditions in the U.S., and are often extremely costly. For…