Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals Receives $500,000 In Grants From ALS Association
Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals recently announced that it received two grants totalling $500,000 from the ALS Association to support research projects to find a cure and possible treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. Aquinnah will utilize the grants to further the advance of its lead compounds targeting TDP-43 pathophysiology, which is found in almost 90 percent of all ALS cases.
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that strikes nerve cells in the spinal cord and in the brain. Those with with ALS end up losing their capacity to start and control muscle movement leading to complete paralysis and death within 2 to 5 years of diagnosis. Currently, there is no cure for the disease and there is only one drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that has the capacity to extend patients’ survival.
“It is a great privilege to direct donor dollars toward some of the most promising research being conducted by the world’s top scientists seeking a cure for ALS. We are proud to support the pioneering drug development efforts at Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals,” noted Lucie Bruijn, the Chief Scientist of the ALS Association.
The CEO and President of Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals, Glenn Larsen, Ph.D., added, “We are very pleased to join the ALS Association in our common goal of advancing new treatments for ALS. These grants will help to move our TDP-43 drug discovery program closer to clinical development.”
Notes About Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals
Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals is committed to develop new treatments that address neurodegenerative diseases based on the ground-breaking research of Ben Wolozin, the company’s Founder and CSO, which uses both TDP-43 and RNA stress granules. Pathological stress granules are a very promising target for novel drugs that might treat ALS, Alzheimer’s disease and other serious neurodegenerative diseases.
About The ALS Association
The ALS Association is a national non-profit organization that aims to fight Lou Gehrig’s disease by carrying on global research, providing assistance for everyone with the disease and organizing multidisciplinary care in certified clinical care centers and adopting government partnerships. The Association represents hope and ameliorates the quality of life of those with these diseases.
