A drug that extended the life of ALS mice by 21 percent. Studies concluded that although zVAD-FMK helps mice, the drug is too toxic for human use. It’s a caspase (cell suicide) and protease (enzymes that cut proteins to shreds for recycling) inhibitor and ALS-TDF is now collaborating in the development of safer drugs that affect the same pathways. There are two new versions of zVAD-FMK that are now in formulation testing at the Foundation.