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Myomo’s Rehabilitation Device for ALS?
February 28, 2012
Myomo, a Cambridge, MA company, has developed a medical device to help stroke patients rehabilitate their arm movements. Myomo's new target audience is ALS patients, including former MA governor Paul Cellucci.


Protein that Glues Nerves to Muscle Holds Therapeutic Promise
February 14, 2012
Researchers gain further understanding of biglycan’s role at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), showing that biglycan activates the master regulator MuSK to build and stabilize NMJs. Providence-based Tivorsan Pharmaceuticals has licensed the technology and has been awarded one million dollars by MDA to develop a recombinant human biglycan protein biologic to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Biglycan’s stabilizing effect may also be therapeutically relevant for ALS given that changes in NMJ architecture have been among the earliest pathologies reported in ALS models.


Intellect Embraces Wide-Ranging Approach to Fighting Brain Diseases
February 14, 2012
Intellect Neurosciences’ CEO talks about the day-to-day struggles of a small biotech trying to develop drugs for neurodegenerative diseases. Among its successes is an out-licensing deal with ViroPharma to develop Intellect’s OX1 for Friedreich’s Ataxia. Similar to metal-binding compounds being developed by Prana and Varinel, OX1 is a potent anti-oxidant with purported ability to bind iron and minimize free radical damage. Given its mechanism of action, OX1 may be therapeutically relevant for ALS.


Pharma Defeats Biotech Push for Rapid Approval Program
February 2, 2012
Biotechs have been pushing to innovate the FDA’s current approval process for orphan drugs so as to enable faster clinical assessment and time to market of their drugs in development. Proposed changes include the use of pharmacodynamic biomarkers to determine drug efficacy and FDA evaluation of early trial results in the review process. Opposition from big pharma, citing safety concerns, is expected to result in a compromise plan to be presented to Congress later this year.


Stem Cell Company Athersys Gets Grant to Study Traumatic Brain Injury
February 1, 2012
Athersys has received NINDS support to develop its MultiStem technology for the treatment of traumatic brain injury. Support for Athersys’s program comes at a crucial time for stem cell therapeutics in the neurodegenerative disease space, following Geron’s recent exit from the stem cell arena. (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/business/geron-is-shutting-down-its-stem-cell-clinical-trial.html).