ALS Research Yet To Be Completed

Upcoming research on treatment for ALS can be found at the ALS Association and the Clinical Government Web site.

Exciting research includes clinical trials being done on Ceftriaxone by many centers including the NINDS, and the Northeast ALS Consortium. Ceftriaxone has been shown to decrease the progression of familial ALS when tested using mice.

Tamoxifen is used in the treatment of breast cancer, and the second drug, which will be undergo clinical research trials. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin are completing trials on Tamoxifen after an ALS patient taking the drug, showed a slowing down of symptoms. However, it is not completely known how Tamoxifen was able to do this.

Future research in the drug Thalidomide will undergo clinical research. Thalidomide decreases the concentration of a substance called TNF-alpha. The research is expected to investigate how the decrease in TNF-alpha will help people with ALS. TNF-alpha is implicated in numerous diseases, and is known as Tumor Necrosis Factor – alpha.

If you would like more information, consult your neurologist, or visit the ALS Association's Web site (www.alsa.org).