Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals Receives $0.5M In Grants From the ALS Association

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals announced today that it has received two grants totaling $500,000 from the ALS Association to support its research to find treatments and a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Aquinnah will use the grants to advance the development of lead compounds focusing on the pathophysiology of TDP-43, found in approximately 90% of cases of ALS.

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Eventually, people with ALS lose the ability to initiate and control muscle movement, which often leads to total paralysis and death within two to five years of diagnosis. There is no cure, and only one drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) modestly extends survival.

"It is a great privilege to direct donor dollars toward some of the most promising research being conducted by the world's top scientists seeking a cure for ALS," said Lucie Bruijn, Ph.D., M.B.A., Chief Scientist for the ALS Association. "We are proud to support the pioneering drug development efforts at Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals."

Glenn Larsen, Ph.D., President and CEO of Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals said, "We are very pleased to join the ALS Association in our common goal of advancing new treatments for ALS. These grants will help to move our TDP-43 drug discovery program closer to clinical development."

About Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals
Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals is focused on developing new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases based on the ground-breaking research of its Founder and CSO, Ben Wolozin, M.D. Ph.D., focusing on TDP-43 and RNA stress granules. Pathological stress granules represent a promising target for new drugs to treat ALS, Alzheimer's disease and other devastating neurodegenerative diseases. For more information about Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals, visit www.aquinnahpharma.com.

About The ALS Association
The ALS Association is the only national non-profit organization fighting Lou Gehrig's disease on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships. The Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure.  For more information about the ALS Association, visit our website at www.alsa.org.

SOURCE Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals

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