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Health News September 23rd

Centers of Disease Control and Prevention

The Food and Drug Administration is likely to approve a new drug for Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as ALS, by the end of the month. The drug is called AMX0035, which is aimed at helping those with ALS, a rare and fatal neurological disorder that eventually leaves a person unable to walk, talk, swallow and breathe.

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According to NPR, the FDA’s Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee concluded from a study that there was no "substantial evidence" that the drug was effective in March. Then in September, the same committee recommended approving the drug.

The FDA, which usually follows advisory committee recommendations, has indicated it will make a decision by Sept. 29.

According to the Florida Department of Health, there have been 20 confirmed cases of Monkeypox in Southwest Florida in September; 12 cases were in Lee County, six in Collier, one in Hendry, and one in Charlotte. There were 1,453 cases reported in Florida in September.

The Monkeypox global outbreak began in May of this year and has spread to 50 countries.