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A clinical research study for patients with ALS experiencing pseudobulbar affect/emotional lability.

People with ALS may experience a number of disabling symptoms including a neurologic disorder called pseudobulbar affect (PBA), also known as emotional lability. More than a million people in the United States with neurologic diseases or injuries also have PBA impacting their lives, and the lives of those close to them. An estimated 20% to 50% of patients diagnosed with ALS suffer from PBA episodes.

PBA is characterized by sudden and unpredictable episodes of crying, laughing or other emotional displays which are often incongruent or exaggerated relative to the patient’s inner mood state or social context and can cause anxiety or embarrassment, particularly in public settings. For some people, these episodes can be so disruptive that they avoid social situations and grow to feel more and more isolated over time.

Presently no medications have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of PBA. However, Avanir Pharmaceuticals is studying an investigational targeted PBA therapy known as Zenvia™ or AVP-923. The STAR trial, sponsored by Avanir, is currently enrolling 180 adults diagnosed with ALS exhibiting the signs and symptoms of PBA at approximately 40 study sites across the United States. You may be eligible to participate in this clinical research study.

Please visit www.pbatrial.com to learn more about PBA and locate the nearest study site of the STAR trial. You can help make a difference for everyone with ALS!