Aural Analytics Inc. received a breakthrough device designation from the U.S. FDA for its Speech Vitals-ALS technology, a software application that collects and analyzes speech recordings to help monitor amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in adults in clinic and home settings. The software could improve management of the devastating disease.

Calcium-dependent protease calpain-2 (CAPN2) has been previously proposed as a critical effector of axonal degeneration, which is a key early...

Tofersen’s development is progressing in fits and starts. That was evident at the U.S. FDA’s March 22 meeting of the Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee, which unanimously agreed Biogen Inc.’s failed phase III study predicted a clinical benefit in treating amyotophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that includes the rare superoxide dismutase 1 component.

Quralis Corp. has launched a program that targets UNC13A mis-splicing, a critical genetic alteration...

Losing the tail to survive. In neurons, the lizard’s strategy, losing the axon to be safe, could prevent cell death. Scientists at Harvard Medical School have observed that certain toxins activated axon loss to prevent damage and survive. This mechanism was mediated by the Gasdermin-E (GSDME) protein, which destroyed the mitochondria in the axons and eliminated the affected nerve projection before the cell died. The inhibition of GSDME prevented the loss of neurons and delayed the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in mice models.

Oryzon Genomics SA has nominated ORY-4001, a selective histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) inhibitor, as a clinical development candidate for the treatment of certain neurological diseases, including Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and others.

Quralis Inc. raised $88 million in series B round to fund clinical development of its two lead programs in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and to take forward earlier-stage pipeline projects in ALS and frontotemporal dementia.