PharmaTher Announces FDA Approval of Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for Ketamine to Treat ALS
When diagnosed with ALS, patients are typically given 2 to 6 years to live and experience rapid decline in muscle function. Even after the ice bucket challenge took the internet by storm, a cure has yet to be found.
Luckily, ketamine is showing potential to slow the progression of the disease to improve both the quality and length of patients’ lives.
In a mouse model of ALS, PharmaTher (PHRM) found that ketamine preserved muscle function and increased life expectancy if administered in the early stages of the disease.
The company received FDA approval for a Phase II trial that will assess a biomarker of neurodegeneration, functional abilities, muscle strength, and depression scores among ALS patients undergoing ketamine treatments.
