Margarida Maia, PhD, science writer —

Margarida is a biochemist (University of Porto, Portugal) with a PhD in biomedical sciences (VIB and KULeuven, Belgium). Her main interest is science communication. She is also passionate about design and the dialogue between art and science.

Articles by Margarida Maia

ALS costs may reach $1.02B each year in US, study finds

There are currently up to 18,000 people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the U.S., with national costs likely to reach $1.02 billion each year, a study has found. Researchers also observed that men, white people, and veterans appear more likely to develop the disease. “However, large-scale, population-based…

AstroRx slows ALS progression in Phase 1/2 study

Kadimastem’s experimental cell-based therapy AstroRx was safe and significantly slowed disease progression in the first three months among people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a Phase 1/2 clinical study shows. The findings are in line with initial data released by the company in 2020, with AstroRx more…

ANX005 Slows ALS Progression in Phase 2a Study

ANX005, an experimental medication being developed by Annexon Biosciences for neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases, resulted in a slowing of disease progression in adults with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). That’s according to preliminary data from eight patients taking part in a Phase 2a clinical study (NCT04569435), whose main…

Masitinib Gains Orphan Drug Status for ALS in Switzerland

Masitinib, an oral medicine developed by AB Science, has won orphan drug status for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Switzerland. The status is granted by the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products (Swissmedic) to therapies that seek to treat life-threatening or chronic diseases affecting no more than…

Low-dose Aldesleukin Slows ALS Progression, Extends Survival: Trial

A low dose of aldesleukin, an immunotherapy approved for certain cancers, slowed disease progression and significantly improved survival in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), particularly in those with less aggressive disease. These are the most recent results from the MIROCALS Phase 2 trial (NCT03039673), which tested aldesleukin…

DNL343 Well-tolerated by ALS Patients, Interim Data Show

DNL343, an investigational oral small molecule developed by Denali Therapeutics, can extensively enter the brain and reduce the cellular stress response that contributes to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) progression. That’s according to an interim analysis of data from a Phase 1b clinical trial (NCT05006352), in which DNL343 was…