#ALS AWARENESS #LouGehrigsDisease #PARKINSONS

GERMANTOWN, Md., March 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuralstem, Inc. (NYSE MKT: CUR) announced top line data from the Phase II trial of NSI-566 spinal cord-derived neural stem cells under development for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The maximum tolerated dose of 16 million transplanted cells and the surgery was well tolerated. Secondary efficacy endpoints at nine months post-surgery indicate a 47% response rate to the stem cell treatment, as measured by either near-zero slope of decline or positive slope of ALSFRS score in seven out of 15 patients and by either a near-zero decline, or positive strengthening, of grip strength in seven out of 15 patients. Grip strength is an indicator of direct muscle strength of the lower arm.

An individual diagnosed with both ALS and MG showed improvements in cognitive and motor function following initial and repeat treatments with NurOwn, a new stem cell treatment.

A new study published in the journal The Lancet indicates that high caloric intake is safe and tolerable in people with ALS with a feeding tube. This research sets the stage for a larger trial testing whether high caloric intake can slow progression of the disease.

Previous studies involving a mouse model of ALS have shown that high caloric intake is associated with increased survival, and those with ALS who are slightly obese tend to have longer......................................

Cytokinetics Inc. is evaluating the costs and timing of a clinical trial for its amyotrophic lateral sclerosis treatment after some patients were given a placebo by mistake. The shares fell as much as 8.8 percent.