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An update from ALS Society of Canada
ALS Canada is supporting a national clinical trial, which is aimed to confirm the effectiveness of lithium in slowing the progression of ALS in patients in the early stages of the disease. Patients may be included if they are within three years of symptom onset and not already taking lithium.
The lithium clinical trial is the first joint effort by ALS clinicians in Canada who have recently formed a consortium — the Canadian ALS Clinical Trials and Research Network (CALS) — under the leadership of Dr. Lorne Zinman, medical director of the ALS Clinic at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. The clinical trial, funded by ALS Canada, at nearly $1,000,000, is our largest research investment to date. We were able to make this investment thanks to the generous support of the Temerty Family Foundation, which has made a lead gift of $250,000, the largest solicited gift that ALS Canada has received in its 32-year history.
CALS will be joined in the clinical trial by the Northeastern ALS Consortium (NEALS), which includes internationally renowned ALS expert neurologists from Harvard University, Columbia University and a number of other prestigious university-based ALS Centres. In addition to funding by ALS Canada, the clinical trial commencing this month in Canada and the United States is being funded by The American ALS Association and the National Institutes of Health.
In Canada, the trial will be conducted at 15 ALS clinics. It is expected to be completed after two years. The trial will be a double-blind, placebo-controlled study with up to 250 patients — 125 of whom will be in Canada. The disease course and safety assessments will be measured at regular intervals over that time.
The objective of this trial is to confirm data from a small Italian clinical study that demonstrated significant positive effect in slowing the progression of ALS in patients in the early stages of the disease, through the use of lithium.
Lithium has numerous neurological effects and is a Health Canada approved drug most commonly used as a mood-stabilizing drug in treating bipolar disorder. It is a potentially toxic drug and must be taken under doctor’s supervision with frequent monitoring of blood levels. Lithium was found to protect neurons in the brain and spinal cord in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
For a list of Canadian clinics that are enrolling people with ALS, please visit http://www.als.ca/research/lithium_trial.aspx. To register in the trial, or for more information, please contact your local ALS clinic.
Passing of ALS Canada board member – Sidney Valo
It is with regret that the ALS Society of Canada announces the passing in December 2008, of Sidney Valo, QC. Sidney Valo was a founding partner of Pallett Valo in Mississauga, Peel Region’s top law firm. He was a founding director, and later chief executive officer, of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority.
After being diagnosed with ALS in April 2005, Sidney Valo resolved to accept his condition as his “new normal” and do all he could to help others afflicted with ALS. He made a conscious decision to disclose his ALS in an effort to build awareness of this devastating disease. Sidney coupled his business and volunteer skills with his strong belief in giving back to the community, and he became a leading fundraiser.
Just over a year after his diagnosis, Sidney joined the Board of Directors of the ALS Society of Canada and established the Valo Fund for ALS Research. To date, the Valo Fund has raised more than $100,000 and is working toward a new goal of $150,000. In 2006, Sidney was the recipient of the Exceptional Fundraising Program Award from the ALS Society of Canada after he led Team Valo, comprised of friends, family and colleagues, in raising more than $29,000 at the WALK for ALS in North York, Toronto.
Sidney’s perseverance, creativity and leadership in fundraising touched the lives of his fellow Canadians, and he received many messages of encouragement and praise. In June 2008, the annual ALS Society of Canada Charity Golf Classic was held in honour of Sidney Valo. The upcoming 2009 Charity Golf Classic, to be held on June 23, will be held in his memory, for more information please visit www.golfforals.ca.
Hal Linden to star in Tuesdays with Morrie
Imagine getting a second chance. This is what happened to Mitch Albom. Sixteen years after graduating from college he reconnects with his former college professor, Morrie Schwartz, now in the last stages of ALS. Mitch spends 14 Tuesday afternoons with his former mentor and is given a rare gift – the possibility of re-evaluating his achievements and learning what is truly important in life.
Mitch shared these insights with the world in a 1997 book called Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson. More than 11,000,000 copies of the book have been sold worldwide, and it spent more than four years on the New York Times best seller list. The story was adapted as a television movie in 1999 and as a play that was first performed in New York City in 2002.
“I was unprepared for how moving and powerful Tuesdays with Morrie turned out to be,” commented a reviewer from the New York Post. The New York Daily News called the play “a touching, life-affirming, deeply emotional drama with a generous dose of humor.”
Theatregoers in Toronto will soon have the opportunity to learn those same life-affirming lessons when the play opens from May 8-31 at the Winter Garden Theatre. The play is being mounted by the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Co. It will be directed by Gemini Award–winning actor/director Ted Dykstra. The role of Morrie will be played by Hal Linden, star of the 1970s police comedy Barney Miller, and Rick Roberts of Traders fame will play Mitch.
ALS Canada is proud to announce that it will be sponsoring a special premiere of Tuesdays with Morrie on Friday, May 8. Tickets are available for sale by contacting Laurie Pringle at lp@als.ca at 416-497-2267 ext. 219. For more information please visit www.als.ca, or. A portion of the ticket price will qualify for a tax receipt.
Prices: Sponsorships range from $1,000 - $5,000
Patron $200 (pre-reception with artistic directors – Boxes A–V)
Platinum $150 (Section A – Orchestra Rows A–M, Balcony Rows A–D)
Gold $125 (Section B – Orchestra Rows N–U)
Silver $100 (Section C – Mezzanine Rows E–L)
Special thanks to the Valo Family, the Suma family and the Dunn family, our presenting sponsors for the evening. Additional sponsorship opportunities are also available.
New Advertising Campaign
Lowe Roche, ALS Canada’s new pro-bono advertising agency, has created an advertising campaign to increase awareness about this devastating disease.
The 30- and 60-second spots, in English and French, are called “Head and Shoulders.” Lowe Roche has also created a series of three print ads which complement the PSA campaign.
Lowe Roche, a boutique agency established in 1991, was the winner of Marketing’s 2007 Agency of the Year award. Recently, they won 13 Digital Marketing Awards—more than any other agency. They have a prestigious roster of clients including the Toronto Zoo, Stella Artois, Audi, Johnson & Johnson, Nokia and Boston Pizza.
The spots have aired on national and local networks from British Columbia to Newfoundland, and have received national media coverage from The Globe and Mail, the National Post, Marketing Magazine, as well as a plethora of advertising publications. The PSAs are posted on advertising blogs around the world from Berlin and Brazil to Poland. To view the spots, please visit http://www.als.ca/default.aspx