Exciting News:
Qalsody (tofersen) received FDA accelerated approval on 4/25/23 for the subset of ALS patients with mutations in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene. While only approximately 2% of all ALS cases are associated with SOD1 gene mutations, this new treatment represents a scientific breakthrough that is being celebrated by the entire ALS community. The Emory ALS Center served as a research site for the tofersen clinical trials, and our team is very grateful to the committed study participants and their families that made this new treatment possible.
Details about availability of commercial drug supply, drug cost, and insurance coverage for this treatment are still unknown. Tofersen is administered on a monthly basis in a hospital or clinic setting through a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) and intrathecal (spinal) injection.
The Emory ALS Center is part of the Emory Brain Health Center in Atlanta, GA. Led by Dr. Jonathan Glass, it is recognized nationally as a Treatment Center of Excellence by the ALS Association (ALSA) , and is designated a Certified ALS Center by the Muscular Dystrophy Assocation (MDA). The Emory ALS Center is now one of the largest clinical centers for ALS in the United States. Our team approach to ALS care and research bridges multiple disciplines and departments. We are physicians, nurses, therapists, social workers, basic and clinical research scientists, students, fellows, and volunteers. We work together, all with the same goal, but with different expertise and viewpoints. Our slogan, “Celebrate Life, Imagine a Cure,” is what we do every day.
Participate in genetic research in ALS
By the numbers
Emory ALS Center has a full time staff of 15 professionals working in the clinic and doing research in the lab.
We see about 180 new patients every year and care for about 500 at any one time.
Approximate number of people in the U. S. diagnosed with ALS each year.