Cogane™ Granted Orphan Drug Status for Treatment of ALS

Recently, the United States Federal Drug Administration granted the Phytopharm drug, Cogane, Orphan Drug status for use in the treatment of Lou Gehrig’s Disease, which provides drug companies with incentives to work on cures for diseases affecting less than 200,000 people in the United States.

Cogane™ is currently in Phase II clinical trial for Parkinson’s disease. The company originally focused on Myogane™ in preclinical studies for ALS; however, the Parkinson’s compound Cogane appears promising, at least in preclinical and safety studies, and the company has decided to pursue this compound for ALS. Cogane is currently in preclinical testing for ALS.

“The drug is in very early stages of development for ALS; however, important information will be gleaned from the Parkinson’s trial, which could expedite a clinical trial for ALS if the current study testing the compound in the ALS mouse model shows some promise,” commented ALS Association Chief Scientist Lucie Bruijn, Ph.D.

For more information, visit http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/biomedtech-/12443-fda-backs-new-treatment-for-motor-neurone-disease to read an article in Business Weekly and http://www.phytopharm.com/media_centre/news_archive/news_details/11-07-28/Cogane%E2%84%A2_%E2%80%93_US_FDA_Grant_Orphan_Drug_status_for_treatment_of_ALS.aspx to read the Phytopharm media release.