Ionis-Otsuka offer ‘groundbreaking’ improvement in function and survival for genetic type of ALS

Ulefnersen, an RNA-targeted therapy being developed by Ionis Pharmaceuticals and Otsuka Pharmaceutical, improved measurements of functional impairment and survival in patients with a rare, genetic ALS subtype in a Phase 3 trial.

Three and a half years after Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals won approval for Qalsody to treat a genetic form of ALS, Ionis with partner Otsuka Pharmaceutical is back with another clinical win that could offer hope to patients with a different subtype of the disease.

Ulefnersen, an antisense oligonucleotide therapy, showed a statistically significant improvement versus placebo in functional impairment and survival in 73 patients with a genetic subtype of ALS caused by mutations in the fused in sarcoma (FUS) gene, meeting the Phase 3 FUSION trial’s primary objective.

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