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Article: Drug being tested to treat Lou Gehrig's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.(Originated from Knight-Ridder Newspapers)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- June 12, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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PHILADELPHIA _ An experimental drug for Lou Gehrig's disease slows the ravages of the ailment and adds about six months to the two-year life expectancy of patients, researchers said Monday.
Known as insulin-like growth factor-1, or IGF-1, the drug is not a cure for the disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Nor do patients improve after taking it.
But it is the first medicine to slow the progress of a neurodegenerative disease, and it may work better at higher doses, said Frank Baldino Jr., president and chief executive of Cephalon Inc., the West Chester, Pa., biotechnology company that conducted the research.
``We have a long way ...