Will New Treatment Strike Out Lou Gehrig’s Disease? (NAPSA)—Thanks to new developments known as gene silencing, there may be hope for those facing the degenerative disease ALS—commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. In the U.S., approximately 30,000 people are living with ALS and almost 6,000 cases are diagnosed each year. According to the ALSAssociation, the course of the disease may includethe following: * muscle weakness in the hands, arms, legs, including muscles that control speech, swallowing or breathing * twitching (fasciculation) and cramping of muscles, especially those in the hands andfeet * in more advanced stages, patients experience shortness of breath and difficulty in breathing and swallowing. When the breathing muscles becomeaffected, ultimately, the patient will need oxygen support in order to survive. Thelife expectancy of an ALS patient averages about twoto five years from the time of diagnosis. Recently, CytRx Corporation, through its strategic alliance and exclusive license agreements with the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), acquired the rights to a portfolio of gene silencing technologies, called RNA Interference (RNAi). CytRx is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of products primarily in the area of RNAi for a variety of therapeutic categories. The company trades on the Nasdaq Exchange under the symbol CYTR. Researchers are looking into RNAi as a way to knock outdiseases such as ALSand diabetes. Harnessing a vital cellular process, researchers at the UMMS developed a method by which ribonucleic acid (RNA), the cellular material responsible for the transmission of genetic information from a gene, can be silenced within a livingcell. RNAi can shut down disease-causing genes—or direct researchers to pathways for effective drug development—and thus open an astounding new avenue for understanding gene function. Some believe these developments offer numerous commercial opportunities for the development of novel and effective therapeutics. The company hopes to begin a trial in 2005 for a form of treatment of ALS that is caused by a gene mutation. A similar treatment strategy may one day also be applied to obesity and type 2 diabetes. To learn more, visit the Web site at www.cytrx.com.
