Testing a new medication to help repair nerve-muscle connections in ALS

Plain-English translation of NCT06249867 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ ·

What is this trial?

This trial is testing whether darifenacin, a medication that blocks certain nerve signals, can help people with ALS by repairing the connections between nerves and muscles that break down in this disease. In ALS, these nerve-muscle connections are damaged early on, and the body's repair cells don't respond properly. This study explores whether darifenacin might help those repair cells work better.

ALS is a rapidly progressive disease with very few treatment options available. Early damage to nerve-muscle connections happens long before symptoms appear, and the body's own repair system fails to fix this damage. Researchers believe this medication might restart that repair process and slow disease progression.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you have been diagnosed with ALS (familial or sporadic) within the last three years
you are between 18 and 85 years old
you can swallow tablets without crushing them
your lung function is at least 50 percent (measured by a breathing test)
if you are a woman, you are not pregnant, not breastfeeding, and willing to use contraception during the study
if you are a man with a partner who could become pregnant, you are willing to use reliable birth control during the study

You likely don't qualify if…

you have untreated narrow-angle glaucoma, problems with stomach emptying, or urinary retention
you have liver disease or abnormal liver function
you have a history of severe allergic reactions to medications like this one
you have been diagnosed with another neurological disease such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, or Alzheimer's disease
you have hepatitis B or C

What participation looks like

You would take a daily tablet of either the medication or a placebo (inactive pill) for the duration of the study. Half of the participants will receive the active medication and half will receive placebo — neither you nor the researchers will know which you're taking. The study will monitor how safe the medication is, how your body handles it, and whether it affects your ALS symptoms through regular check-ins and tests.

Testing a new medication to help repair nerve-muscle connections in ALS

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations(2 sites)