Israel Matzav

Israeli company receives US patent for potential ALS cure

An Israeli company has received a US patent for a potential cure for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which is commonly referred to in the US as Lou Gehrig's disease after the Yankee Hall-of-Famer who died from it. This is from the first link (Hat Tip: Soccer Dad).

The patent covers BrainStorm's stem cells induced to secrete elevated levels of neurotrophic factors for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Pending approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the company is preparing for its upcoming mid-stage Phase II trial in the United States with its NurOwn adult stem cell therapy.

BrainStorm is developing NurOwn for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

Separately, the company said it has signed a definitive agreement with Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to conduct a Phase II clinical trial of NurOwn in ALS, pending FDA approval. The other two clinical sites slated for the trial are the University of Massachusetts Memorial Hospital and Mayo Clinic.

"The recent bill introduced to the U.S. Senate to support regenerative medicine research is yet another indication of the increasing recognition that stem cells hold the promise for curing life-threatening and debilitating conditions like ALS," said Chaim Lebovits, BrainStorm's president.

"We are very encouraged by the bill's proposal to appoint a council that would develop and maintain a national strategy for the promotion of regenerative medicine research and development."

What follows is a clip from Israel's Channel 2 television. The patient is a well-known Rosh Yeshiva in the Haredi community.

Let's go to the videotape.



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Labels: biotech, God, Israeli high tech, Torah

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:04 PM