In a new clinical trial (ROPALS trial), researchers from Keio University have found a novel drug to be safe and effective for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Tokyo, Japan – Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a deadly neurodegenerative disease with no known treatment. In a new randomized clinical Phase I/IIa trial, researchers from Keio University treated ALS patients with ropinirole, a drug often used to treat Parkinson's disease. After a period of 1 year, they found the drug to be safe and, most importantly, to have a significant effect in functional and survival outcomes, slowing the progression of the disease.