drug development

Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals have decided to terminate the development of BIIB105, their experimental treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), based on data from a Phase 1/2 clinical trial. The therapy resulted in no significant clinical benefit compared with a placebo after six months, and data from…

After two meetings with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Coya Therapeutics says it’s received constructive feedback — and has reached an alignment with the agency regarding development plans for COYA 302, its therapy candidate for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The company held the two…

The biotechnology company ProJenX recently received $15 million in funding to advance its experimental oral treatment prosetin for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This Series A financing round is essentially the next round of funding after seed money was used to rapidly develop the investigational treatment. Both rounds…

A newly launched non-profit institute is seeking to advance research, and the development of new therapies, for people with rare diseases — a patient community with some of the largest therapeutic needs, but one that is often left behind. Named the Institute for Life Changing Medicines, the project was…

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC) is opening a new research site in the Boston area dedicated to discovering new therapeutic targets in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other diseases of the central nervous system. Located in the SmartLabs biotechnology hub in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company’s NeuroDiscovery Lab is scheduled…

Two bills making their way through Congress are intended to improve access to medical therapies for those most in need, and in particular, those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., announced his plan to introduce a bill to hasten the regulatory process for making promising therapies…

NeuroSGC, a new scientific partnership formed by the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) and the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro) aims to discover new treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson’s disease — both of which currently lack effective therapies. Drug discovery for these and other neurological…

Biohaven Pharmaceuticals is pushing hard for regulatory approval and development of its two investigational drugs for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): BHV-0223, a sublingual form of Rilutek (riluzole), and BHV-4157, a compound that modulates the neurotransmitter glutamate. After more than 20 years, Rilutek remains the only approved treatment for people with…

The pharmaceutical companies Evotec and Celgene will collaborate on a drug discovery and development program to identify and develop novel disease-modifying therapies for several neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The partnership will allow the screening of drug compounds developed by Celgene using Evotec’s platform of induced pluripotent…

By introducing a mutation in SOD1 — the protein believed to be responsible for a large part of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases — researchers managed to prevent the protein from clumping in a way that kills neurons. The study, “A Phosphomimetic Mutation Stabilizes SOD1 and Rescues…