#AAN2018 — ALS Treatment Candidate MN-166 Delays Disease Worsening, Improves Survival, Trial Shows

MediciNova’s investigational therapy MN-166 (ibudilast) was able to delay disease worsening and improve survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, updated data from a Phase 2 clinical trial show. The study, “Ibudilast — Phosphodiesterase Type 4 Inhibitor — Bi-Modal Therapy with Riluzole in Early [Not…

Investigational therapy NP001 failed to improve disease severity and pulmonary function in a Phase 2 confirmatory trial for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with elevated levels of systemic inflammation, Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals announced. The findings, showing the trial failed to meet its primary and secondary goals, were recently shared during the…

A new Japanese joint venture company called MAGiQ Therapeutics — the result of a collaboration between Q Therapeutics and Reprocell — aims to develop cell and gene therapies for demyelinating and degenerative diseases of the central nervous system. Among the first diseases its efforts will target is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a…

Anxiety and depression were found to be associated with caregiver burden in people caring for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, according to a study. Researchers found that anxiety was mainly observed in those with a low caregiver burden, and depression was seen more widely in those with a high…

In last week’s column, I shared how the simple strategy of showing up helps me live with ALS. This week, I have a suggestion for something that should be at the top of your list of things to show up for: your ALS support group. ALS support groups…

A diet that includes foods rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids like alpha-linolenic acid — an essential plant-derived fatty acid found in flaxseed, canola, and other oils — is linked to a lower risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), researchers report. But their work also found that diets rich in arachidonic…

The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) issued a negative opinion on the conditional marketing authorization of masitinib for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the therapy’s maker, AB Science, recently announced in a press release. Masitinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) being developed by AB Science to treat symptoms of…

H.P. Acthar Gel, an experimental injectable therapy, may help delay progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a new analysis reveals. The data is scheduled to be presented at the 70th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in Los Angeles, April 21–27, in a presentation titled, “Post…

New antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) molecular therapies targeting the most common gene mutation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia reduced brain disease hallmarks in a mouse study, researchers found. The study, “Stereopure Antisense Oligonucleotides Preferentially Knockdown G4C2 Repeat-Containing C9ORF72 Transcripts: A Potential Therapeutic Approach for the Treatment…

Variations of the TP73 gene could increase a person’s susceptibility to developing the non-inherited version of ALS, a study suggests. University of Utah researchers will present the study at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in Los Angeles at 4:30 p.m. Pacific time on April 24. The title is “…