Posts by Nazem Atassi, MD
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High-Dose Tamoxifen "Wins" Selection Trial in ALS
In a selection trial—a randomized trial in which multiple experimental treatments were compared simultaneously—tamoxifen 80 mg/day was numerically superior to tamoxifen 40 mg/day and creatine 30 g/day on the primary endpoint of functional decline.
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Novel Immunomodulator Safe and Tolerable in Pilot Study for ALS
Building on promising data from preclinical models of ALS, physician-scientists at the Healy Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital have completed the first translational step in developing a new immunomodulatory drug for ALS.
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Novel Imaging Method Could Help Screen Subjects, Select Drug Doses for ALS Trials
Working in partnership, neurologists and radiologists at Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a novel molecular imaging method that measures glial activation in ALS that could assist in early trials of investigational drugs.
Biography
Dr. Nazem Atassi is Associate Director of the Neurological Clinical Research Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. He has completed Neurology training at Boston University Medical Center and Fellowship in Neuromuscular Disorders and Clinical Trials at MGH.
Dr. Atassi received his Masters of Medical Science in 2010 from Harvard Medical School. He serves on the executive committee of the Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS), and he is the founder and Co-Chair of the Upper Motor Neuron and the Imaging committees at NEALS.
Dr. Atassi received several awards including the MIT 100K Life Science Award from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Anne B. Young Translational Neuroscience Fellowship, and NIH K23 Career Development Award. He is completing Masters in Business Administration (MBA class 2019) at Sloan, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has hands-on industry experience in designing and running multicenter clinical trials through his work as a medical monitor for Pfizer and Fellow at Biogen.
Dr. Atassi is the Primary Investigator for several research projects focusing on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis clinical trials, neuroimaging, and outcomes measures. His research is funded by the National Institute of Health, ALS Association, ALS Finding a Cure, ALS One Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, and Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center.
Dr. Atassi directs the NCRI Imaging core which leverages a world-class research imaging infrastructure available at Mass General and apply these technologies to develop new ALS therapies. This Core is laser-focused on building novel imaging platforms that can measure the biological activity of experimental treatments in people living with ALS, leading to efficient clinical trial designs and accelerated pace of drug discovery.
He attends two clinics at MGH: ALS multidisciplinary clinic and Neuromuscular clinic.
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