Time is the enemy of people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a relentlessly progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by motor neuron death in the brain and spinal cord. A diagnosis quickly leads to deteriorating muscle function as the disease takes away a person's ability to walk, speak, eat, and breathe. ALS is fatal and the most common cause of neurological death in Canada. And despite this disease's rapid progression (the average life expectancy from symptom onset is two to five years), innovation in ALS has historically been slow and riddled with failures.
That's kept Amylyx Pharmaceuticals co-founders and co-CEOs, Josh Cohen and Justin Klee, up at night since the company's early days a little over 10 years ago, when the two were undergrad students poring over neurology papers and following their curiosity about why neurons die. Fast forward to one year ago, when Amylyx received its first drug approval in Canada for the treatment of ALS, before any other country in the world.
"Canada-first" milestones
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Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av Maclean's.
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A Teacher's Tale
My career in Quebec ended because I chose to keep my hijab
Top Marks
InSaguenay, Quebec, Ecole de l'Etincelle embodies the school of the future
Modernize Parental Leave
Canada's birth rate is dropping, and the cost of living is partly to blame. A more supportive leave plan would make parenthood more affordable
"I spent years trying to learn English.Now I use ChatGPT."
AI isn't perfect, but it helps me write complex emails and understand Canadian culture
MY PREDICTION - The National School Food Program Will Transform Kids' Health
When students have access to nutritious food, they do better in school and life
FOOD
The exorbitant cost of food will have ripple effects on the restaurant industry and grocery stores. The good news? There's a plan to save the country's salmon supply.
MY PREDICTION - New Mortgage Rules Will Drive Up Housing Prices
Looser lending policies will encourage more people to buy homes they can't afford in the first place
HOUSING
Politicians will spar over how to tackle the housing crisis. Falling interest rates will draw young people into the real estate market. And a rude awakening is coming for homeowners renewing mortgages.
MY PREDICTION - Stuctured Literacy Will Help Level the Educational Playing Field
Canadian students have struggled to read and write. That stops this year.
EDUCATION
Quebec's classrooms will take centre stage in the secularism debate. Chatbots will help students create A-plus work, while others will grade themselves. And thousands of international students will be sent home.