A Multicenter, Dose Ranging Safety and Pharmacokinetics Study of Arimoclomol in ALS

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Clinical Trial

Official title: A Multicenter, Dose Ranging Safety and Pharmacokinetics Study of Arimoclomol in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of arimoclomol in ALS patients following 90 days of dosing. In addition, the amount of arimoclomol in blood and cerebrospinal fluid will be measured.

Clinical Trial Description

Arimoclomol is a small molecule that upregulates "molecular chaperones" in cells under stress. Arimoclomol extends survival by five weeks when given both pre-symptomatically and at disease onset in a mutant superoxide dismutase (SOD1) transgenic mouse model of ALS. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated to have neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects in other rat models of nerve damage. Molecular chaperone proteins are critical in the cellular response to stress and protein misfolding. Recent data suggest that the SOD1 mutation responsible for ALS in some patients with familial disease reduces the availability of a variety of molecular chaperones, and thus weakens their ability to respond to cellular stress. Protein misfolding and consequent aggregation may play a role in the pathogenesis of both the familial and sporadic forms of ALS. Therapeutic agents such as arimoclomol that improve cellular chaperone response to protein misfolding may be helpful in ALS. ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment, Masking: Double-Blind, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Motor Neuron Disease
• Sclerosis

• NCT number: NCT00244244
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: CytRx
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: October 2005
• Completion date: January 2007