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Japanese researchers use a Parkinson's disease drug to extend the lives of ALS patients
- By Newsdesk
- Japan
- Jun 05, 2023
Japanese researchers have announced the successful use of ropinirole-based Parkinson's disease treatment in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Ropinirole treatment increased the subjects' lives by about six months, according to TASS, citing a study published in the scientific journal Cell Stem Cell.
According to preliminary findings from two dozen ALS patients, ropinirole slowed the progression of the disease, which is manifested by loss of control over muscle tone, and was also safe for patients.
According to Hideyuki Okano, a professor at Keio University in Japan, the drug stimulated the formation of new nerve endings, suppressed the production of cholesterol in ALS carriers' nerve cells, and normalised the circulation of fats in patients' neurons.
Patients with ALS rarely live more than two to five years after diagnosis, with lung failure caused by muscle atrophy being the most common cause of death. The disease is incurable, and many pharmaceutical companies are currently working to find a way to treat it or, at the very least, delay its progression. Because the disease is uncommon, regulators allow experimental drugs to enter the market at a rapid pace.
For example, Biogen's Qalsody (Tofersen) for the treatment of a type of ALS received FDA approval in April 2023, despite the fact that the study's findings only indirectly demonstrated its efficacy.