ALS Therapy Development Foundation
The ALS Therapy Development Foundation changed its name to the ALS Therapy Development Institute in 2007, after receiving a major grant and research partnership from the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Augie's Quest. Founded in 1999, ALS TDI was the world's first nonprofit biotechnology company.
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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
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The institute researches new treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, which affects 350,000 people worldwide. ALS is is a progressive disease with no cure or effective treatment, which attacks motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, causing muscles to waste away. Patients live an average of two-to-five years after diagnosis.
Therapy
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There is currently little therapy and no cure for ALS. Currently there is only a single therapy approved for treating ALS progression, the drug Rilutek (riluzole). The medical community estimates its benefits as modest---extending patient survival by three months. The institute has discovered a molecule in animals that significantly extended the life of animals with ALS.
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Founding
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The institute was founded in 1999 by James Allen Heywood, after his brother Stephen was diagnosed with ALS, and is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The Institute's Work
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The institute has collaborated with dozens of academic labs and leading biotechs worldwide. The institute's industrial-scale organization allows for the development and testing of dozens of potential therapeutics each year, including those relating to gene therapy, immunology and stem-cell therapy.
Public Outreach
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The institute relies on donations to do its work. The institute's website hosts a public forum on the disease and its research which allows visitors to ask researchers a question. Some of the funding for the institute comes from the ALS community---nonprofit groups, patients and medical facilities. Fund-raising events are posted on its website. A special section on its website provides fund-raising tools, including event development tools and marketing materials.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Hey Paul Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Daniel Lobo
