shares of amylyx pharmaceuticals inc were trading higher in thursdays afterhours market following news that the us food and drug administration approved the companys new drug for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or als an average of 5000 new patients are diagnosed every year with als also known as lou gehrigs disease according to the us centers for disease control the new drug is the first one approved by the fda for als in five years the wall street journal reported at 454 pm et the companys stock had risen 1077 to trade at 3298 a share the stock closed the days regular session with a 328 gain closing at 3019 a share over the last three months the companys stock has risen by more than 56