Via Scoop.it – ALS Lou Gehrig’s Disease
In people with ALS, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles gradually weaken often leading to respiratory distress and failure. In hopes to keep these muscles moving, Case Western University School of Medicine surgeon Raymond Onders MD FACS introduced a device, now approved by the FDA for people with ALS with breathing difficulties, called the NeuRX DPS which may boost the stamina of these muscles. But researchers from San Francisco’s Cytokinetics Inc. think that they might have a simpler solution: the experimental drug CK-2017357 (CK-357). Introduced in 2008, CK-357 might increase the strength of certain skeletal muscles including those needed for breathing. Now, Cytokinetics scientists reveal just how CK-357 works: the drug promises to make the most of weakening neuromuscular junctions by helping fast twitch fibers in skeletal muscles hold on to calcium, enabling more powerful contractions. This so-called fast skeletal muscle is needed in part, to maintain a healthy breathing rate. The Cytokinetics’ team anticipates that the drug could be beneficial in the treatment of number of neuromuscular diseases including ALS. Physicians are currently evaluating the safety and tolerability of multiple doses of CK-357 in people with ALS. The multi-institutional US team, led by State University of New York neurologist Jeremy Shefner MD PhD, are also checking for improvements in patients’ muscle function including breathing ability. The two 14 day placebo-controlled phase II clinical trials are expected to be completed by the end of March 2012. About 48 ALS patients are participating.
Via blogs.als.net
ALS Research News 