#NORDsummit – Despite Criticism, Orphan Drug Act Is Working to Advance Needed Treatments, FDA Says

As Congress begins debate this week to overhaul the U.S. tax code, lawmakers should leave the Orphan Drug Act (ODA) — and the tax incentives it offers pharmaceutical companies to develop therapies for rare diseases — off the table. That’s the message being pushed by the National Organization for…

The ALS Association was founded in 1985 and is dedicated to helping patients who suffer from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The non-profit organization operates with a global scope, coordinating their research with some of the world’s top scientists. Here are five more things this incredible organization does: Research…

The presence of diabetes is associated with a 70 percent reduction in the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), new study shows. The study, titled “The role of pre-morbid diabetes on developing Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,” was published in the European Journal of Neurology. ALS patients tend…

In this video from the Brattleboro Reformer, learn more about how ALS patients like Andy are diagnosed from a doctor’s point of view. MORE: Andy shares his ALS journey in this touching video Neurologist Dr. Elijah Stommel explains that he sees two newly diagnosed ALS patients each week and that each…

In this EmpowerRN video, Caroline, a registered nurse, talks through the signs, symptoms and treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and how the disease progresses. MORE: Seven facts about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis you might find interesting  The video is primarily aimed at fellow nurses, offering tips on studying…

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics announced that the first patients have been enrolled in the Phase 3 clinical trial of NurOwn for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). NurOwn is a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) platform created for the treatment of ALS. Because it is made from MSCs,…

Quick! Guess where I was the other day? Hint: I spent quality time with a few ghosts, goblins and vampires. Nope, I didn’t visit a haunted house – I went for a haircut! You sure can’t tell from the outside, but where I go has an explosion…

Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, an affiliate of Ipsen, announced that five abstracts discussing Dysport (abobotulinumtoxinA) were presented at the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) Annual Assembly, held Oct. 12-15 in Denver, Colorado. Dysport, a botulinum toxin product, is approved for treatment of spasticity, or shaking, in adult patients, which…

Changes in the numbers of immune cells in the blood are associated with the progression of ALS, a study reports. Keeping tabs on the numbers could help doctors track the disease and researchers identify targets to develop treatments around, it said. The study, “Correlation of Peripheral Immunity…

Participating in the 2017 Annual Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) meeting in Florida recently, biotech company Oxford BioDynamics presented two different epigenetic signatures for the diagnosis and prognosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The presentation was a result of a prospective study to determine the sensitivity and specificity of two…