LifeArc grant to fund research into repurposing therapies for MND

LifeArc, a U.K.-based independent medical research charity, is offering £5 million (about $6 million) to scientists around the world as part of a grant program to tackle motor neuron disease (MND) using repurposed or combined medicines. The program is part of the Motor Neuron Disease Translational Challenge, which…

Scientists at King’s College London have identified the site in motor neurons that appears to be the starting point of dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — shedding new light on the workings of the neurodegenerative disease at its earliest stages. “This provides a better understanding of the complex…

What if I told you that eating sugar cookies and cherry pie could help slow down the progression of ALS symptoms? You’d probably say, “Hey Dagmar, you’ve gone bananas!” I know, I know. The suggestion sounds contrary to what we’ve always been told about healthy eating, especially for anyone…

People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) given PrimeC in the PARADIGM Phase 2b trial — and who did not diverge in major ways from the trial’s rules — experienced a significant slowing in disease progression compared with a placebo, the treatment’s developer, NeuroSense Therapeutics, announced. This finding…

Treatment with Relyvrio (sodium phenylbutyrate and taurursodiol) significantly reduced blood levels of neuroinflammatory biomarkers in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as early as three months, according to a post hoc analysis of the CENTAUR trial. Data from the Phase 2 study (NCT03127514) demonstrated that reductions in…

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics has had a meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking an agreement on its plans for a confirmatory Phase 3b trial of NurOwn, a cell-based treatment the company is developing for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The main goal of the meeting,…

A few weeks before Christmas Day in 2018, my late husband, Jeff, and I sat side by side on the edge of our bed, preparing to create the most meaningful Christmas gifts we’d ever given. Laid out beside us on the bed were four children’s storybooks, each with a Christmas…

“The essence of trauma is powerlessness.” This quote from Christian trauma therapist Colleen Ramser grabbed my attention, because I often feel powerless as a caregiver for my husband, Todd, who is paralyzed by ALS. We’ve been having a rough week. Todd’s shower aide called in sick a…

Under a new agreement, Coya Therapeutics’ amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) treatment candidate COYA 302 — which aims to suppress chronic and sustained inflammation — will now be exclusively marketed by Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., as well as in the European Union, should…

The ALS Association has given Oryzon Genomics nearly $500,000 to advance ORY-4001, a potential treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), into preclinical studies. The $498,690 grant was provided via the association’s Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Drug Development Program. Oryzon intends for laboratory studies in mouse disease models…