Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis News and Research

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AMT, Amgen amend GDNF gene license agreement

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics Holding N.V., a leader in the development of gene-based therapies, today announced that it has amended and restated its licensing agreement with Amgen for gene therapy applications incorporating the GDNF (glial cell derived neurotrophic factor) gene, to which Amgen holds rights. Financial terms were not disclosed.

2 Dec 2010

Neuraltus reports positive results from NP001 Phase 1 study for ALS

Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals, a privately held biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing high-impact therapeutics that address critical unmet medical needs, primarily for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, announced today top-line results from the Company's Phase 1 clinical study of NP001 for the treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease).

30 Nov 2010

Breakthrough with mutant gene that causes familial ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that eventually destroys most motor neurons, causing muscle weakness and atrophy throughout the body. There is no cure and the current treatment has only a moderate effect on the march of the disease, which typically kills within three to five years. This week in PNAS, a team of Brandeis scientists reports an innovative approach to treating the most common form of familial ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

23 Nov 2010

New editorial dispel doubts about Lou Gehrig's ALS diagnosis

A recent study suggesting that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be attributed to repetitive head trauma experienced in collision sports lacks scientific epidemiological evidence to support this claim.

20 Nov 2010

Pericyte cells become key players in shaping blood flow in the brain

Cells in the brain called pericytes that have not been high on the list of targets for treating diseases like Alzheimer's may play a more crucial role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases than has been realized.

18 Nov 2010

New findings identify Sortilin as a potential therapeutic site to alter PGRN pathology in dementia

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) refers to a group of disorders associated with degeneration of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. Symptoms include dementia, aphasia, and semantic disorders.

18 Nov 2010

Sangamo presents Phase 2 clinical data in ALS at Society for Neuroscience Meeting

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. announced today the presentation of Phase 2 clinical data from its ZFP Therapeutic program to develop SB-509, a zinc finger protein transcriptional activator (ZFP-TF) of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A gene as a treatment for ALS.

17 Nov 2010

TCA Cellular Therapy receives QTDP grant for adult stem cell therapies

TCA Cellular Therapy was recently awarded a Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Program (QTDP) grant from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The program was highly competitive with nearly seven thousand applicants vying for funding.

14 Nov 2010

Aestus receives $244,000 grant from QTDP program

Today Aestus Therapeutics, Inc. announced that it has been awarded a $244,000 grant from the U.S. Government's Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project program.

4 Nov 2010

Insmed third quarter total revenues decrease to $1.8 million

Insmed Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, today reported results for the third quarter and nine-months ended September 30, 2010.

3 Nov 2010

FDA approves NUEDEXTA capsules for pseudobulbar affect

AVANIR Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved NUEDEXTA (dextromethorphan hydrobromide and quinidine sulfate) capsules, as the first treatment for pseudobulbar affect.

30 Oct 2010

Biogen 2010 third quarter revenue increase 5% to $1.2 billion

Biogen Idec Inc. a global biotechnology leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of innovative therapies, today announced its third quarter 2010 results.

26 Oct 2010

Researchers discover link between hereditary and sporadic ALS

For the first time, researchers have discovered a disease mechanism that links hereditary amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to the more common "sporadic" form of ALS and points to a possible therapeutic target.

21 Oct 2010

Metabolon receives patent for biomarkers to determine PPAR-affecting drugs

Metabolon, Inc., leaders in global metabolomics, biomarker discovery and biochemical analysis, announced today the grant of US Patent 7,807,138 entitled "Biomarkers of Metabolic Responses to Hepatic Drugs". The USPTO awarded the patent to Metabolon on October 5, 2010. This is the 13th patent issued to Metabolon and the second in its portfolio of biomarker patents.

21 Oct 2010

Neuralstem updates Phase I human clinical trial of spinal cord stem cells for ALS

Neuralstem, Inc. updated the progress of its ongoing Phase I human clinical trial of the company's spinal cord stem cells in the treatment of ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease) at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

20 Oct 2010

UCSF professor receives National Medal of Science

UCSF Nobel laureate Stanley B. Prusiner, MD, UCSF professor of neurology and director of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, today (Oct. 15, 2010) was named to receive the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest honor for science and technology.

18 Oct 2010

Knopp Neurosciences forms new parent entity

Knopp Neurosciences Inc. announced today that it has formed a new parent entity called Knopp Biosciences LLC to expand operations with the goal of becoming a more broadly integrated biopharmaceutical company.

15 Oct 2010

'Brain-computer interface' development receives Arizona Biomedical Research Commission grant

Efforts to advance technology to aid people who have lost communication and movement abilities are getting support from an Arizona Biomedical Research Commission grant for a project combining resources and expertise at Arizona State University and the Children's Neuroscience Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital.

14 Oct 2010

MOH approves BrainStorm's NurOwn stem cell therapy for Phase I/II clinical trial

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, today announced that the Israeli Ministry of Health (MOH) has granted clearance for a Phase I/II clinical trial using the company's autologous NurOwn stem cell therapy in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

11 Oct 2010

FDA designates NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System as HUD device for ALS patients

Synapse Biomedical Inc. announces today that they have received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designation of the NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System (DPS) as a Humanitarian Use Device (HUD) for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with a stimulatable diaphragm who are experiencing chronic hypoventilation and has now submitted for Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) approval.

11 Oct 2010