Mother with rare ALS touts miracle drug that has stopped her disease

Eight years after receiving a life-shattering diagnosis, a New Jersey mother credits an “amazing” new drug for stopping her disease in its tracks.Raziel Green, 52, an active runner and mother of two, was diagnosed with a rare form of ALS in 2017.The former retail manager first started experiencing symptoms more than 10 years ago, when her legs started to feel heavy during what would normally be an easy run, Green told Fox News Digital during an on-camera interview.“A couple months later, I started to struggle going up the stairs at my house,” she recalled.Several months later, when Green started to experience balance issues and muscle loss, she decided to see a neurologist, who told her there was nothing wrong.Knowing that her mother and aunt had both been diagnosed with a rare form of ALS, Green pushed for more opinions and tests.It wasn’t until she saw a third neurologist, who specialized in genetic diseases, that she was diagnosed with the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).The disease, which is caused by mutations in the SOD1 gene, accounts for approximately 10% to 20% of genetic ALS cases and 1% to 2% of sporadic ALS cases, according to the ALS Association.Soon after her diagnosis, Green learned about a clinical trial at Mass General for an experimental drug — QALSODY (tofersen), which is made by Biogen in Cambridge, Massachusetts.The medication is administered into the spinal fluid via a lumbar puncture every few weeks.“I was given the opportunity and was fortunate enough to be a part of the trial,” she said.“Knowing that we have the gene, I really wanted to do this not just for me and my family, but for others who have this form of ALS.”Within four months, Green said she saw a “huge difference,” and has not gotten any worse since.“I saw a neurologist and she compared notes from between now and seven years ago, and she cannot see anything that is different from the day that I was diagnose...