A potential new treatment for motor neuron disease (MND) will be evaluated through our innovative EXPERTS-ALS clinical trial platform.
Biotechnology company CervoMed Inc. has announced that its investigational drug, neflamapimod, has been selected for inclusion in EXPERTS-ALS, a UK MND RI-supported platform trial designed to identify which treatments should move forward into larger studies rapidly.
EXPERTS-ALS is a core part of the UK MND Research Institute’s strategy to transform how treatments are tested, bringing greater speed and coordination to the process.
A faster way to identify promising treatments
Finding new treatments for MND is challenging, and traditional clinical trials can take many years to show whether a drug works. EXPERTS-ALS was created to change that.
The platform uses an adaptive, biomarker-led design to test promising therapies in smaller groups of participants over a shorter timeframe, typically 6 to 9 months. By measuring levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a blood protein that reflects nerve cell damage, researchers can detect early signals of whether a treatment is having a biological effect.
This approach allows the team to make informed decisions more quickly about which therapies should progress into large-scale Phase 3 trials, helping to focus time and resources where they are most likely to make a difference.
About neflamapimod
Neflamapimod is an oral therapy that targets p38 MAP kinase, a pathway involved in inflammation and nerve cell stress. It has previously been studied in other neurodegenerative conditions.
Within EXPERTS-ALS, the drug will initially be tested in a small cohort of people living with ALS, the most common form of MND. If early results suggest a positive biological signal, the study may expand to include additional participants and further clinical outcome measures.
Strengthening the UK’s coordinated trial infrastructure
The inclusion of neflamapimod highlights the growing recognition of the EXPERTS-ALS platform. We are committed to finding new treatments for MND, including medicines and new compounds that have already passed safety testing.
By bringing together researchers, clinicians, funders and industry partners within a unified framework, the Institute aims to shorten the pathway from promising science to meaningful clinical progress for people living with MND.
As further candidate therapies are added, EXPERTS-ALS continues to demonstrate how collaboration and innovative trial design can accelerate the search for effective treatments.
The trial is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) alongside leading MND charities, and sponsored by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
You can read about our other blogs and news stories here or read about our research here. Also, sign up for our newsletter.
