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New Drug Shows Promise in Fighting Muscle Wasting Disease

24 March 2016

A new drug to treat the muscle wasting disease inclusion body myositis (IBM) reverses key symptoms in mice and is safe and well-tolerated in patients, finds a new study led by the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases at University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology and the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Cross-section of muscle from a patient with inclusion body myositis (courtesy of Marinos C. Dalakas MD via Neurology)

The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, found that the new drug Arimoclomol reversed the disease's effects at the cellular level and improved muscle strength in mice. A safety trial in 24 IBM patients conducted in London and Kansas found that the drug was safe and well-tolerated. Full story can be read on the UCL news page.