Current clinical trials in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is caused by selective degeneration of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. There are still no other effective therapies 10 years after the approval of riluzole for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but advances in drug development and screening are substantially increasing the number of potential therapeutic agents. This review provides an overview of clinical trial methodology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis followed by a systematic evaluation of drugs that are presently in Phase I, II and III clinical trials. There is an emphasis on the scientific evidence supporting the selection of each drug being tested, as well as on trial design.

Keywords::

• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• clinical trials
• excitotoxicity
• minocycline
• motor neuron degeneration
• neuroprotective agents
• neurotrophic factors
• riluzole

Disclosure

This work was supported by the Wings Over Wall Street Fund.