Actor Eric Dane died of ALS at age 53 in February 2026, less than a year after announcing his diagnosis. Former NFL star Chris Johnson also revealed his ALS diagnosis at age 39. The cases highlight the neurodegenerative disease, which affects about 33,000 people in the U.S. and has no cure.
NeuroSense Therapeutics reported that its ALS drug PrimeC achieved a statistically significant 65% reduction in the risk of death in a Phase 2b trial. Separately, the company was granted a South Korean patent covering PrimeC's composition, formulation, and use for ALS treatment through 2042.
Researchers developed BIDSleep, an AI framework that uses Apple Watch data to accurately classify sleep stages, achieving 71% accuracy in a clinical study. Separately, startup SOND launched AI-powered earbuds that track physiological signals to enhance sleep. Both advances demonstrate the expanding role of AI and wearables in sleep science.
A cortical tri-culture model using human iPSC-derived neurons and astrocytes has been validated for neurodegenerative drug discovery and neurotoxicity screening. The model successfully identified compound modes of action in blinded testing, addressing a critical need for physiologically relevant cortical models. Neurodegenerative diseases affect approximately 15% of the global population, with prevalence expected to increase with aging populations.
Enveric Biosciences reports positive preclinical results for lead candidate EB-003 showing efficacy in depression and PTSD models. The company has completed pre-IND studies and received FDA feedback for streamlined IND submission, with plans for Phase 1 trials in 2026. New BRET assay data demonstrates EB-003's engagement of therapeutic signaling pathways while independent research supports separation from hallucinogenic effects.
A Boston University study of 614 brains found that advanced chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) from repeated head impacts significantly increases dementia risk, with stage IV CTE making individuals 4.5 times more likely to have dementia.
Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly partnering with biotechs developing RNA-targeting small molecules, driven by advances in RNA structural biology and the success of drugs like Roche's Evrysdi. The approach aims to address "undruggable" targets while offering oral availability advantages.
Drug discovery is expanding beyond traditional protein targets to include RNA-targeting small molecules, cell surface proteins, and sequence-based AI platforms capable of screening billions of candidates across the entire genome.
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCT07563777 |
100-Year Human Aging Study |
RECRUITING | |
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Kamlanoflast In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis |
NOT_YET_RECRUITING | PHASE1/PHASE2 |
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Eccentric Cycling in Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation |
NOT_YET_RECRUITING | NA |
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Conventional Physical Therapy Action Observation Therapy on Freezing of Gait and Functional Mobility in Parkinson's Disease |
COMPLETED | NA |
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HIFT Training in People With Parkinson's Disease |
COMPLETED | NA |
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A Vision-Language Foundation Model for Brain Disease Diagnosis From Multimodal Data |
RECRUITING | |
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3D Printers for Autonomy in the Care of Inpatients in Continuing and Rehabilitation Care |
RECRUITING | NA |
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Evaluation of the Safety, Tolerability and PK Characteristics of GV1001 in Healthy Subjects |
COMPLETED | PHASE1 |
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Digital Diagnostics and Intervention Services for Parkinson's Disease |
NOT_YET_RECRUITING | |
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Optimization and Harmonization of Advanced MRI Sequences |
COMPLETED |
