News round-up for 15-19 April by DDW Digital Content Editor Diana Spencer.

The headline news this week all concerns clinical trials for new drugs that could have a significant impact on future patient treatment, including trials testing therapeutics for ALS, cystic fibrosis, gonorrhoea, TB and Parkinson’s.

The top stories:

Drug candidate for ALS patients authorised for Phase II trial

Axoltis Pharma has received authorisation from ANSM, the French agency for the safety of health products, to launch the SEALS study for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Landmark study supports use of cystic fibrosis drug in newborns

A cystic fibrosis drug targeting the basic defect that causes the condition has been shown to be safe and effective in newborns aged four weeks and above, new research has found.

GSK announces positive data for gonorrhoea antibiotic

Positive results have been announced by GSK for its antibiotic targeting uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhoea (GC) in adolescents and adults.

Human infection model drives forward TB vaccine development

For the first time, a controlled human infection model for tuberculosis (TB) has been developed and could help with the future development of TB vaccines.

Gene therapy proved to be safe in patients with Parkinson’s disease

Askbio’s AB-1005 (also known as AAV2-GDNF), an investigational gene therapy for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, was well tolerated with no serious adverse events in a Phase Ib clinical trial.