Spinal Cord Injury

Prevalent

Approximately 250,000 - 400,000 people in the United States currently live with a disability related to a spinal cord injury (SCI). Every year, there are close to 11,000 new cases in the U.S. Most injuries occur in individuals between the ages of 16 and 30.

Lifelong

A spinal cord injury usually begins with a sudden, traumatic blow to the spine that ultimately damages the nerves within the spinal canal. The spinal cord is then unable to send and receive messages from the brain to the rest of the body below the level of injury, resulting in a lifetime of disability. What makes this disability particularly devastating is that the damage is generally irreversible.

Not Without Hope

Ongoing research in the area of nerve regeneration is providing hope for the thousands of people who are living with a spinal cord injury. Alseres is dedicated to the research & development of effective therapeutics for spinal cord injuries. Within Alseres' regenerative therapeutics program, Cethrin^®, an investigational recombinant protein-based drug, is currently in Phase II clinical trials to promote axon outgrowth in the injured neurons which restore movement and sensory function.

For a list of websites providing information on spinal cord injury, visit our Patient Resources section.