A large review by Stanford University researchers shows that drugs used to lower cholesterol could extend the life of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The rare neurological disease, for which there are currently no curative treatments, was recently brought to the attention of the general public by the late actor Eric Dane. We discussed the condition, but also the impact of the study with neurologist Ovidiu Tudor.
What is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and why it has no cure (for now).
“Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder in which motor neurons—nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary movement—gradually degenerate and die. As the disease progresses, patients lose the ability to walk, talk, swallow, and eventually breathe. Median survival after diagnosis is 3–5 years, although approximately 10–20% of patients live beyond a decade”says Dr. Ovidiu Tudor, neurologist.
The reason why there is still no cure is due to the enormous complexity of the disease, the doctor explains.
,,ALS does not have a single cause, but involves a network of pathological mechanisms acting simultaneously: toxic protein accumulation, glutamatergic excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation and axonal transport defects. This heterogeneity means that a single drug cannot stop all these processes at once. The researchers believe that, in the future, effective treatment will need to be personalized and multi-targeted, similar to the approach in oncology.”
Stanford study results, hope for more years of life
Stanford University researchers analyzed the electronic medical records of more than 11,000 US veterans diagnosed with ALS between 2009 and 2019. The goal was to identify existing drugs that could influence patients’ survival.
The results showed that 18 drugs used for other conditions were associated with a reduction in the risk of death, suggesting a possible extension of survival. These include:
- Statins – used to lower cholesterol
- Alpha-blockers – used to improve urinary flow in men with an enlarged prostate
The neurologist Ovidiu Tudor highlights the importance of this type of study:
“The fact that several drugs in the same therapeutic class showed the same positive effect lends greater confidence to these associations. The importance of the study lies in the breadth of data analyzed, the innovative methodology, and the potential to accelerate patient access to treatments — the drugs identified are already approved, with a well-known safety profile, which could allow them to reach clinical trials faster than a new molecule. However, the authors caution that the results represent associations, not definitive evidence of effectiveness, and that controlled clinical trials are needed for confirmation.”
Engineers from Stanford University have created an exoskeleton that can improve your running speed
Can ALS patients already have access to this type of medication?
I asked the doctor what happens next, if patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis will be able to be prescribed the drugs indicated in the study.
“Moving from an observational study to routine off-label prescribing is not that simple. Good practice guidelines require that off-label prescribing be justified by sufficient scientific evidence and that there is no authorized alternative. However, in the case of statins and the other drugs identified by the Stanford team, the evidence so far comes exclusively from observational data, not from randomized clinical trials.”says Dr. Ovidiu Tudor.
However, doctors will be able to prescribe the drugs.
“Practically, a doctor can prescribe a statin off-label to a patient with ALS, but it is essential that the patient is informed that the benefit is not definitively demonstrated and that the decision is based on associations from medical records, not on a clinical trial”.
The impact of media coverage and hopes for the future
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis was brought back to the attention of the general public by Eric Dane, the beloved actor of Grey’s Anatomy. Diagnosed with the condition in 2025, he went public with his battle with the disease and became involved in campaigns and fundraising events for research. It has also supported organizations and initiatives seeking new treatments.
Sadly, Dane passed away just ten months after his diagnosis. But he left behind a story of courage, struggle and determination in the face of illness. As well as hope for other patients.
“Recent history clearly demonstrates that outreach can transform the fight against ALS. There is real hope: gene therapies like tofersen already work for genetic forms of the disease, stem cell therapies are being tested, and the repurposing approach of existing drugs — like the one in the Stanford study — could shorten the path from the lab to the patient’s bedside,” explains Dr. Ovidiu Tudor.
