One of the few available drugs to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, may get pulled from the market after failing a large clinical trial nearly two years after its controversial approval by the Food and Drug Administration.
The Phase 3 trial investigators found “no significant difference” in patients who took the drug, called Relyvrio, compared with patients who took a placebo, according to a statement released Friday by the drug’s manufacturer Amylyx Pharmaceuticals.
In the 48-week trial, the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company enrolled 664 adults living with ALS. The disease, also commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, gradually destroys nerve connections needed for basic movements and – eventually – breathing. There is no cure and most people die within three to five years of diagnosis.
