Posts by James D. Berry, MD, MPH
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Healey Platform ALS Trial Expected to Expedite U.S. Approval of New Treatments
The Healey Platform ALS Trial, headquartered at Massachusetts General Hospital, launched in July 2020 and is expected to bring new treatments to patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis more quickly and at lower cost than randomized, controlled trials of single agents.
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Smartphone Monitoring Feasible for Quantifying Mobility of Patients with ALS
Using location tracking data provided by smartphones, James D. Berry, MD, MPH, of the Neurological Clinical Research Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital, and colleagues documented behavioral changes among patients with ALS after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Infusions of Regulatory T Cells Slowed ALS Progression in First-in-Humans Trial
A phase 1 trial has demonstrated the safety of autologous infusions of regulatory T cells into patients with ALS, with potential benefit in terms of slowing disease progression.
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Stratification Based on Predicted Survival Could Improve Randomization of ALS Trials
Stratifying ALS clinical trial participants improved randomization of simulated ALS trials compared with traditional methods, which may allow for a reduced sample size needed.
Biography
Dr. Berry is a clinician caring for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and clinical researcher with a focus on understanding and developing new therapies for ALS. He is co-director of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) multidisciplinary Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) clinic. He has worked to extend the reach of the MGH clinic team beyond the walls of the physical clinic using novel tools such as video televisits and remote monitoring.
Dr. Berry also works as a research investigator carrying out ALS trials at MGH and as overall investigator of numerous multicenter ALS biomarker studies and trials. He conducts ALS biomarker work focused on the identification of markers of ALS in blood and spinal fluid, with an emphasis on markers of abnormal inflammation. He collaborates broadly with researchers around the globe on these biomarker efforts.
Dr. Berry is also the Associate Medical Director of the MGH Neurological Clinical Research Institute (NCRI), and Director of the Partners Neurodegenerative Clinical Research Fellowship. He is a member of the Massachusetts ALS Registry team and CDC/ATSDR National ALS Registry and Biorepository Expert Panels. In addition, he is on the Executive Committee of the NEALS Consortium, a national organization for ALS clinical researchers, where he also leads the NEALS Biorepository and Technology in ALS subcommittee.