Pharmaceutical giant, CytRx, announces the initiation of a phase II clinical trial with orally-administered arimoclomol for ALS, and patient identification for this trial, which currently is underway at several clinical trial sites. Arimoclomol was granted orphan drug status designation by the FDA for the treatment of ALS in May 2005.
Steven A. Kriegsman, President and CEO of CytRx says, "We are delighted that the FDA has permitted us to begin this important clinical trial, and the fast track designation constitutes yet another significant milestone in our effort to help those suffering from this deadly neurodegenerative disease for which there is no effective treatment."
Arimoclomol is believed to function by a mechanism that stimulates a normal cellular protein repair pathway through the activation of "molecular chaperones."
50-percent of ALS patients die within eighteen months of diagnosis and 80-percent die within five years. There are currently more than 120,000 people living with ALS worldwide.
