The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) awarded $3.7 million to AcuraStem to support the development of a small molecule drug to treat C9orf72 gene-related amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) fast-track grant (R44NS105156) will promote the development…

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) show alterations in the activity of their masticatory (jaw) muscles, impairing their ability to chew, according to the results of a small study. The study, “Alterations in the stomatognathic system due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,” was published in the Journal of Applied…

A university-led clinical trial will assess the therapeutic effect of Celestone (betamethasone) injections in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with mutations in the FUS gene — a particular genetic type of ALS that seems to be clustered in  a nearby region. Inherited ALS is rare and only affects up…

Flex Pharma announced that it is stopping Phase 2 clinical trials of its investigational compound to ease muscle cramps, FLX-787, in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). The company’s decision was based on tolerability concerns in each study with the oral disintegrating tablet formulation at 30…

Researchers have developed a personalized, non-invasive model that uses a set of characteristics, easily obtained at diagnosis, to predict survival in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study with that finding, “Prognosis for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: development and validation of a personalised prediction model,” was published…

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are at increased risk for having pressure sores (PrS), according to a recent study. This risk is especially high for women and young patients, the findings showed. The study “Risk of developing PrS in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients – a nationwide cohort…

Cognitive deficits associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are linked to a particular pattern of abnormal changes and altered blood flow in specific brain regions, a study shows. The study titled “Brain Structural and Perfusion Signature of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis With Varying Levels of Cognitive Deficit” was…

The biotech company Kadimastem is recruiting for a Phase 1/2a clinical trial to test the safety and effectiveness of its leading cell therapy, called AstroRx, in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), after positive results were seen in animal models of the disease. The study showed that AstroRx, made…

Specific alterations in RNA processing are molecular hallmarks of familial and sporadic forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a new study suggests. This research might lead to more discoveries  about how ALS develops and ultimately contribute to a cure. The study, “Intron retention and nuclear loss of SFPQ are…

Results from a Phase 1 clinical trial reveal that giving patients infusions of a specialized immune cell may be a viable option to safely slow the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). That finding was reported in the study “Expanded autologous regulatory T-lymphocyte infusions in ALS,” published…