Mary Chapman, features writer —

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have forged a partnership that seeks to advance both the understanding of rare neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the development of potential treatments. The public-private collaboration, called the Critical Path…

The treatment development company Verge Genomics — known for its all-in-human artificial intelligence platform — has been named among the “Fierce 15” by daily email newsletter Fierce Biotech. Verge’s inclusion by the web resource in the 20th annual Fierce 15 listing, announced in a company press release,…

Kulicke & Soffa Industries has announced a multi-year donation that ultimately will increase amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients’ access to potentially life-saving treatments. The contribution, for which an amount was not specified, will establish and support the multicenter expanded access protocol (EAP) companion program to the HEALEY ALS…

The Pooled Resource Open-Access ALS Clinical Trials (PRO-ACT) database, the largest collection of de-identified records on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients in clinical trials, has been updated with records of participants in three Cytokinetics-sponsored studies. Newly added findings derive from a decade of trials involving nearly 600 ALS patients. Those…

As part of its Tribute Awards, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) will honor Alan Pestronk, MD, co-director of the MDA & ALS Care Center at Washington University School of Medicine. The Tribute Awards recognizes those “who have been tireless in their efforts” to support members of the neuromuscular disease…

NeuroSense Therapeutics and NeuraLight are collaborating to identify digital biomarkers, particularly those drawn from facial videos, that would help in detecting and monitoring amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurological diseases. Called occulometric biomarkers, they are derived from videos of patients’ faces captured on a webcam and analyzed…

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $2.3 million to advance into testing an app that could improve how amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is diagnosed, track the disease’s progression, and help assess a treatment’s effectiveness. The three-year Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant was awarded to Modality.AI and…

The Greater Chicago Chapter of the ALS Association is in high gear to end amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with multiple awareness and fundraising events taking place throughout June and July. On June 4, after two years of walking in their respective neighborhoods, supporters returned to Cantigny Park in…

Dutch Bros Coffee has long supported efforts from the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) to help patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neuromuscular diseases and to fund research. It recently outdid itself, though, raising $2.3 million for the organization in a single day. Proceeds from Dutch…

Major league baseball teams are poised to mark Lou Gehrig Day, set aside to honor the legendary New York Yankees first baseman whose career was cut short amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the progressive neurodegenerative disorder that after his death in 1941 became known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.” In addition to…