Following a clinical trial at Hadassah, a stem-cell drug used to treat ALS, was found safe and effective in slowing down the progression of the disease
Israeli clinical stage cell therapy company Kadimastem, was recently granted a patent from the Israel Patent Office, for the promising new drug AstroRx, used to treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The new medication uses embryonic stem cells to create healthy nervous system cells, which can in turn support malfunctioning brain and spinal cord tissue in patients suffering from the neurodegenerative disease.
A recent clinical trial found that the drug was safe for administration and helpful in slowing down the progression of the disease, as well as increasing the life expectancy and overall quality of life of ALS patients. ALS is a debilitating and fatal disorder of the central nervous system, which causes the progressive degeneration of motor neurons, the largest cells of the spinal cord, that send nerve fibers out to control the muscles.
When these do not function properly, individuals suffering from the disease slowly lose their ability to move, eat, speak and eventually breathe. There is no cure for the disease, but Kadimastem’s innovative drug can slow down its progression and vastly improve the patients’ quality of life. “The results after six months of follow-up are encouraging, as they suggest a clinically meaningful signal of effect for a period of three months by a single administration of AstroRx® and confirm the safety of AstroRx®,” explained Dr. Marc Gotkine, a leading researcher in the trial and head of Hadassah Medical Center’s ALS. The trial was conducted at Hadassah Medical Center, in Jerusalem’s Ein-Kerem. The drug has been designated by the FDA as an orphan drug for the treatment of rare diseases.
