ALS drug already approved for some may help others
NCT ID NCT07294144
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This phase 2 trial tests whether tofersen, a drug already approved for a specific type of ALS, can help people with ALS who do not have the SOD1 gene mutation. Thirty adults will receive the drug via spinal injections over 24 weeks. Researchers will measure changes in nerve damage markers and monitor safety.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- tofersen
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could expand the use of tofersen to a broader group of ALS patients who lack the SOD1 mutation, potentially slowing disease progression.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial (30 people) with no placebo group, so results may not be definitive. Tofersen is already approved for SOD1-ALS, but its effect on non-SOD1 ALS is uncertain.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2025
- Expected to finish
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May 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Ability to understand the purpose and risks of the study and provide signed and dated informed consent and authorization to use PHI in accordance with national and local participant privacy regulations. * Aged 18 years or older at the time of informed consent. * Confirmed diagnosis of ALS. * Time since onset of weakness due to ALS ≤ 24 months at the time of the screening visit. * Prior confirmed genetic testing negative for SOD1 and FUS mutations. Participants with mutations in genes other than SOD1 and FUS may be enrolled at the discretion of the Site Investigator. * SVC ≥ 50% of predicted value as adjusted for sex, age, and height (from the sitting position). * Medically able to undergo the study procedures and to adhere to the visit schedule at the time of study entry, as determined by the Investigator. * All participants must agree to practice effective contraception during the study and be willing and able to continue contraception for 5 months after their last dose of study treatment. * If taking riluzole, participant must be on a stable dose for ≥ 30 days prior to Day 1 and expected to remain at that dose until the final study visit. * If taking edaravone, participant must have initiated edaravone ≥ 60 days (2 treatment cycles) prior to Day 1 and expected to remain at that dose until the final study visit, unless the Investigator determines that edaravone should be discontinued for medical reasons, in which case it may not be restarted during the study. Exclusion Criteria: * Treatment with another investigational drug (including investigational drugs for ALS through compassionate use or expanded access programs), biological agent, or device within 1 month or 5 half-lives of study agent, whichever is longer. Specifically, no prior treatment with small interfering RNA, stem cell therapy, or gene therapy is allowed. * Current enrollment in any other interventional study. * History of drug abuse or alcoholism within ≤ 6 months of study enrollment that would limit participation in the study, as determined by the Investigator. * Presence of an untreated or inadequately treated active infection requiring systemic antiviral or antimicrobial therapy at any time during the screening period. * Ongoing medical condition (e.g., wasting or cachexia, severe anemia) that according to the Investigator would interfere with the conduct or assessments of the study. * History of confounding neuromuscular or neurological disorder that is expected to have a progressive (i.e., worsening) course during the study, and/or is expected to be associated with elevations in neurofilament, in the opinion of the Investigator. * Female participants who are pregnant or currently breastfeeding. * Significant cognitive impairment, clinical dementia, or unstable psychiatric illness, including psychosis, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, or untreated major depression ≤ 90 days, as determined by the Investigator. * History of allergies to a broad range of anesthetics. * Tracheostomy. * Presence of risk for increased or uncontrolled bleeding and/or risk of bleeding that is not managed optimally could place a participant at an increased risk for intraoperative or postoperative bleeding. These could include, but are not limited to, anatomical factors at or near the LP site (e.g., vascular abnormalities, neoplasms, or other abnormalities) and underlying disorders of the coagulation cascade, platelet function, or platelet count (e.g., hemophilia, Von Willebrand's disease, liver disease). * Anticipated need, in the opinion of the Investigator, for administration of any antiplatelet or anticoagulant medication that cannot be safely held before and/or after an LP procedure according to local or institutional guidelines and/or Investigator determination. * Presence of an implanted shunt for the drainage of CSF or an implanted CNS catheter. * Clinically significant abnormalities in hematology or clinical chemistry parameters, as determined by the Investigator, which would render the participant unsuitable for enrollment. * Inability to comply with study requirements. * Other unspecified reasons that, in the opinion of the Investigator, make the participant unsuitable for enrollment.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Emory University
RECRUITINGAtlanta, Georgia, 30322, United States
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Massachusetts General Hospital
RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States
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Washington University ALS Center
RECRUITINGSt Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States
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