ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It is characterized by the gradual loss of muscle control, which can lead to paralysis and death.

The cause of ALS is unknown, but it is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. There is no cure for ALS, but there are treatments that can help to slow the progression of the disease and improve quality of life.

Articles on this page look at the latest research in new ALS cell therapies and drugs, and there are also personal profiles of people living with and fighting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

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The Readout LOUD Damian Garde, Allison DeAngelis, and Adam Feuerstein

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Health Lev Facher

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Listen: A dilemma in ALS, the first MASH drug, & why gene therapy is hard

After Amylyx ALS trial failure, patients share disappointment and fear — but some hope

STAT Plus: Amylyx ALS drug failure leaves patients, advocates, and researchers reeling — and wondering what’s next

STAT Plus: Insitro, biotech AI’s quiet unicorn, unveils efforts in ALS, liver disease, and cancer at JPM

STAT Plus: ALS patients support bill that could help patients with other rare diseases

Listen: Live from the 2023 STAT Summit

STAT Plus: What we owe ALS patients — and why one company fell short

STAT Plus: FDA advisers vote overwhelmingly against ALS treatment from BrainStorm

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ALS advocates say criticism of new drugs misses bigger picture

STAT Plus: FDA approves new treatment from Biogen for rare form of ALS

STAT Plus: FDA advisory panel recommends conditional approval of Biogen’s drug for rare form of ALS

Illumina’s $8 billion limbo, a new treatment for ALS, & Emirati biotech funding

When spinal fluid from ALS patients was put into mice, the mice got weak. An unlikely protein could be the culprit

Listen: Private equity in autism care, a watershed FDA approval, and the future of ALS treatment

STAT Plus: Brainstorm to seek FDA approval for ALS stem-cell treatment, despite agency objections

STAT Plus: FDA’s decision to review a Biogen ALS drug is met with skepticism and uncertainty on Wall Street

STAT Plus: Biogen drug for rare form of ALS fails pivotal study — another setback for fatal disease with few treatments

STAT Plus: Brainstorm’s cell therapy for ALS fails study, but company sees signs of efficacy — and may push for approval

STAT Plus: Cytokinetics pushes ahead with ALS drug despite negative clinical trial outcome

Head trauma link to ALS strengthened with findings of NFL player Kevin Turner’s autopsy

My sister made her end-of-life wishes clear. Then dementia took hold

ALS patient takes on one final fight: jump-starting research

For ALS patients robbed of speech, a new way of ‘speaking’