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) Cross-section of muscle from a patient with inclusion body myositis (courtesy of Marinos C. Dalakas MD via Neurology)](/news/sites/news/files/styles/large_image/public/s-ibm.jpg?itok=8Ov4sDWc)
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.