Inside STAT: Fed up with FDA, ALS advocates consider a take-no-prisoners approach

Almost five years after the ice bucket challenge raised $115 million for research, some ALS activists are fed up with the lack of action or results. And like the ACT UP activists from the 1980s who protested in front of government buildings to raise awareness for AIDS, a small group of activists is hoping to spur change for ALS patients. Next Wednesday, a group of them — who have no previous protesting experience — will be gathering outside the FDA’s Maryland headquarters to demand the agency speed up approval of ALS drugs. And even though these advocates belong to no particular organization, their message of “No More Excuses” has captured the attention of FDA regulators, members of the ALS association, and even some members of Congress. STAT’s Nicholas Florko has more here.