The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has awarded a $500,000 research grant to a Massachusetts General Hospital scientist to support the HEALEY ALS platform trial — a pioneering trial that’s seeking to find treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a faster timeframe. The three-year clinical research grant was…
Blood levels of eight small molecules called microRNAs can accurately distinguish people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) from healthy people or those with other neurodegenerative diseases, a study shows. Its developers believe this so-called “ALS fingerprint,” which has now been validated in multiple groups of people and in different…
Clene has been granted an in-person meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — to be held before the end of November, according to the company — to discuss a potential accelerated approval of CNM-Au8 as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Under such…
A short course of treatment with Revalesio‘s RNS60 as an add-on to standard amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) therapies extended the median survival of people with the progressive disease by about six months compared with a placebo. That’s according to up to six years of…
I remember borrowing a coffee tumbler emblazoned with a Royal Caribbean cruise ship logo from my late husband, Jeff, while we were dating. I wanted to take my coffee home from a visit to his house, and he reluctantly handed it over, explaining that he and his brother Steve had…
Amprion has been awarded a $100,000 research grant to support studies on the causes of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that could help diagnose and develop potential therapies for the disease. The project, led by Richard Smith, MD, state director of the Center for Neurologic Study, and Amprion’s…
On a beautiful fall evening recently, my son had a junior varsity football game. I prepared to go by helping my husband, Todd, clear his lungs again in the bathroom, and then I set him up at his computer. He couldn’t go with me because he is paralyzed and…
A man with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) recently became the first person to control an Amazon Alexa device with his thoughts, via an investigational, implanted brain-computer interface (BCI) from Synchron. The 64-year-old man, identified in a Synchron press release as Mark, lost the function of his upper…
Certain rare genetic variants associated with Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders may increase, by up to nearly four times, the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study found. These variations also may lead to faster ALS progression and shorter survival, so patients who carry the…
Last week I visited my dermatologist for my annual skin exam and when it was over I left his office with a brand new perspective about my ALS. I’m quite diligent about my annual medical exams — eye exams, regular ALS clinic visits, dental care, and in this case,…
