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Examining Both Sides of the Sirtuin Coin
February 22, 2010
Sirtuins hold promise as a therapeutic target for a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. This piece discusses the history and efforts of Sirtris and Elixir Pharmaceuticals to develop activators and inhibitors of SIRT1, which one study has shown to be upregulated in an animal model of ALS.


UCSF Enters Drug Discovery Agreement with Genentech
February 19, 2010
The University of California, San Francisco, and Genentech, Inc., have signed an agreement to discover drug candidates for neurodegenerative diseases. Genentech will provide funding and will collaborate with the UCSF team to identify small molecules at the UCSF Small Molecule Discovery Center. Genentech has recently begun making overtures into the ALS space, including a license and option agreement with NeuroNova for the use of VEGF as a potential ALS treatment.


Turning Up the Heat on HD (subscription required)
February 18, 2010
Based on research out of Duke University, Chaperone Therapeutics is focusing on developing a class of Heat Shock Transcription Factor 1 (HSF1) activators, a mechanism complementary to that of Cytrx's compound arimoclomol, currently in Phase II/III trials for ALS.


Stem cells for screening? (requires Nature subscription)
February 9, 2010
A slew of new partnerships aim to use stem cells as a way to screen potential drug candidates.


KineMed Broadens Collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb
February 8, 2010
Kinemed, a company developing treatments and a biomarker for ALS, and Bristol-Myers Squibb will be broadening their collaboration in the area of neurodegenerative diseases.