ALS Breakthrough Trial Launches for Pridopidine Drug

A breakthrough ALS study launches as pridopidine enters phase 3 clinical trials, offering new hope for treating the fatal neurodegenerative disease.

The PREVAiLS study has enrolled its first participant at Mass General Brigham under Dr. Sabrina Paganoni. The global trial will test pridopidine on 500 early-stage ALS patients across 60 treatment centers in 13 countries.

Pridopidine acts as a sigma-1 receptor agonist, stimulating neuroprotective pathways damaged in ALS and Huntington's disease. The drug showed promise in phase 2 trials for rapidly declining patients despite missing primary endpoints.

Current ALS treatments remain limited as the disease affects 20,000 Americans annually with no cure available. Most patients survive 3-5 years after diagnosis.