an Experimental drugs It helps to improve movements in patients with spinal cord injury.
NVG-291, an injectable peptide, is being tested Phase 2 exam For eligible patients – some patients noted the surprising results.
Larry Williams, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based trial participant, shared with Fox News Digital that she was able to walk again after the accident that caused paralysis.
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Williams, 58, was hitting a tree and slamming the mountains on a small road. He was wearing a helmet, but he “immediately broke” C6 vertebrates (specific bones in the cervical vertebrae).
He experienced Spine surgeryHowever, he was paralyzed for two weeks until his body began “waking up” and after starting treatment he regained some movement.
Williams was able to walk “a little” with the help of pedestrians, but still had local mobility complications like his hands. He also lost 40 pounds after the accident.
After some research, he discovered the trial for NVG-291 and was considered a viable candidate, he told Fox News Digital.
For three months starting in April 2024, Williams received an hour of daily injection of drugs Physical Therapyhand exercise and walking on a flat track or treadmill harness.
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Williams also underwent blood and electrophysiological tests to measure electrical activity in his nerves and muscles, as well as the monthly physical test.
At the end of the trial, Williams reported that he could walk 10 meters (32.8 feet), balanced with the Walker in 15 seconds, and improved in 45 seconds.
He hasn’t received the drug since July 2024, but Williams continues to watch it Physical improvements More than a year later.
“I’m not working really hard. I’m not currently in treatment,” he told Fox News Digital. “But just a few days ago I got up and tried to get my freestand, balance out of the ground and lift it up. I was able to do that for 30 seconds.”
“I wasn’t practicing this. I can’t explain how it happened,” he added. “There are some small improvements that keep happening.”
Williams said he tried the same thing six months ago and couldn’t let his feet go off the ground for three seconds.
Since the trial, Williams has continued to improve his walking ability and can even swim laps in the pool.
“I’m reaching out to other people who are getting the same injuries as me. After years of treatment, it seems that many of them have reached where I am,” he said. “And it seems like I’ve been given a shortcut… I want to reach my previous life and be completely independent.”
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After taking the experimental drug, Williams said he could perform physical tasks “easy and quick.”
“My legs are a little smoother and seem less restrictive over time,” he said. “I’m not going to give up. I’m going to keep pushing and keep trying.”
In another interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Monica Perez, Science Chair of Shirley Ryan Ability Love in Chicago and professor of physics medicine and rehabilitation at Northwestern University, said the drug was first tested in animals and improved motor function.
The researchers then conducted randomized clinical trials in humans. In this study, half of participants received NVG-291 medication. Nervous System Function.
This drug is a peptide, a small protein that functions like obstruction removal. After a spinal cord injury, the body sends signals to the nerve fibers telling them to stop the growth. This drug blocks these signals, making the nerve more likely to regrow.
“The peptide could block these inhibitory signals,” Ryan said. “There’s a bit of evidence that animals can actually promote neuronal growth.”
GLP-1 receptor agonists are the best known, but Weight loss Also, the treatment for diabetes is peptides, Perez said this spinal cord injury treatment works differently.
“There are specific mechanisms and are associated with repair in order to promote the growth of neurons affected by central nervous system damage,” she said.
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Spinal cord injuries are usually approached with cell therapy. Stem cells Bone marrow stromal cells noted.
In contrast, this peptide approach is “easy to do” and can be done at home, achieves “similar goals” and is “very safe,” she added.
Perez said further research is needed to determine how long the drug will last.
“We observed strong electrophysiological changes in the group receiving the medication compared to the placebo group, but there were no follow-up measurements,” she said. “There is no way to understand the actual duration of these treatments.”
As there is currently no FDA-approved treatment for spinal cord injuries, Perez said the people involved in the study were “very committed.” Advance this science.
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Although each patient may respond differently, Williams said he recommends this treatment to others with spinal cord injuries.
“It could really change things for people like me who have been injured,” he said. “I pray that everyone there will have the opportunity to regain their own life.”
