A panel of outside experts for the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday voted 17-1 that a treatment for Lou Gehrig’s disease has not been shown to be effective.
Drugmaker BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics this month tried to get the treatment, called NurOwn, approved for use in patients with mild to moderate Lou Gehrig’s, also called ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
The FDA in 2022 rejected an earlier approval application from BrainStorm. The company’s 200-patient study did not show that the therapy extended life, slowed the disease, or improved patient mobility. The FDA convened Wednesday’s panel after ALS patients and advocates submitted a 30,000-signature petition seeking a public meeting.
What other treatments exist for ALS? The FDA in the last year has approved two new drugs to treat the disease. Advocacy groups have increased lobbying efforts in recent years to push the FDA to approve experimental treatments for terminal illnesses like ALS.
This story originally appeared in WORLD. © 2023, reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
Last year, my 68-year-old partner was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease also known as ALS. Speaking and swallowing were two of his challenges. His collapse was swift and catastrophic, and neither the riluzole nor the medical staff did much to aid him. He would not have survived if our primary care physician hadn’t given him attentive care and attention, as the hospital center didn’t provide any psychological support. His fall was abrupt and catastrophic. His hands and legs gave way to weakness in his arms. This year our family physician suggested using vinehealthcentre. com ALS/MND treatment, which my husband has been receiving for a few months now. I’m delighted to say that the treatment greatly reduced and reversed his symptoms of ALS, he no longer requires a feeding tube, sleeps soundly, works out frequently, and is now very active. In the hopes that it could be useful, I thought I would relate my husband’s tale; in the end, you have to do what suits you the best.