There have been many medical breakthroughs over the last 20 years for a wide range of neurological conditions – from migraines to multiple sclerosis to Parkinson’s disease. Unfortunately, progress with neurodegenerative conditions, like ALS and Alzheimer’s, hasn’t quite kept the same pace.
Why? They are complicated conditions.
Key challenges in the Scientific Fight Against ALS Include:
Another Large Obstacle is New Treatment Approval
There is more money being spent on medical research than ever before, and only 41 new novel drugs were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2014. Many questions must be answered before a drug can be given FDA approval to be brought to the market including:
Waiting for answers to these questions can be frustrating for both people with ALS and scientists dedicated to finding an effective new treatment, but they are crucial in ensuring safety standards. Before a doctor can prescribe a new drug, it must pass a battery of strict safety checks required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Promising Clinical Trials to Watch
The Future Looks Optimistic
Although most of the aforementioned studies are still in the very early stages of scientific exploration, researchers are beginning to develop clear targets that can be used to measure results. Shefner says that it is likely that continued research could result in an effective “cocktail” therapy where a combination of drugs and treatments are one day used to slow the progress of the disease.
Also promising to people with ALS is that several drugs being tested for use in people with ALS are already approved for treating other diseases, which makes it easier to resolve issues about safety, dosage and effect. That means, if it can be determined that these drugs are safe and effective for people with ALS, the wait time to bring these drugs to market will be reduced significantly.
And We Can Do a Lot to Treat ALS Meanwhile
Vast improvements have been made in prolonging motor function and improving quality of life. Examples include the increasing ability to treat cramps and excess saliva. There is also great headway being made with nutrition, physical therapy and breathing management.
There is much hope on the horizon for people with ALS. Thanks to increased funding for research provided by Ice Bucket Challenge donations, research can continue at an accelerated pace.
Want to Learn More?
View the webinar for more information at: https://vimeo.com/120697177.
Don’t miss the Q&A section at the end, where Shefner discusses the state of research in the U.S. relative to other counties and what you can do if you have slow-progressing ALS.
He also highly encourages anyone with ALS to get involved in clinical research to further the search for effective treatments. Here’s more information to get started: http://www.alsconsortium.org/search.php