Cost of ALS care in US in first year tops $47K for Medicare users

People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) spend upward of $47,000 on medical care during the first year after their diagnosis, more than three times the amount spent by the average Medicare user, according to a new study by the ALS Association. The study results further showed that so-called…

A new blood test that analyzes tiny fragments of DNA released by dying cells may help diagnose amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and predict how quickly the disease will progress, a study suggested. “Our model test could not only distinguish ALS patients from healthy individuals but also from those with other…

Yesterday was my wedding anniversary, the fifth one I have spent without my late husband, Jeff, who died of ALS in 2020. Jeff Sarnacki’s daughter, Makelle, holds her daughter while enjoying a show at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in October 2025. (Photo by Juliet Taylor) In the…

The ALS Association has launched the ALS Focus Data Dashboard, a free interactive tool that gives researchers, clinicians, and the public access to five years of self-reported clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic data from more than 4,000 people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and their caregivers across the U.S.

I wish I could shake the sadness I feel as my husband Todd’s caregiver after 15 years with ALS. There’s been a cloud over our lives since his diagnosis, even when his only physical symptom was a weak arm. Living with ALS has taken a toll on both…

Researchers in the U.S. and Europe have identified a number of novel blood and spinal fluid biomarkers that could help track amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) progression and monitor patient responses to therapeutic interventions, a new study reports. Several of the proteins found altered in people with ALS versus healthy…

I’m sure we’ve entered the spooky season, a time when doing simple, normal activities feels more like a trip through the local haunted house. Goblins lurking in the shadows are ready to do their mischief. Who knew I’d find one hiding in the accessible stall of a restaurant’s restroom? But before…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug status to CK0803, a regulatory T-cell therapy being developed by Cellenkos for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with a goal of slowing disease progression. The FDA designation is intended to accelerate the development and review of new treatments…

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is more common in some parts of the U.S. than others, and it has a very strong geographic association with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study suggests. The finding implies that some type of environmental factors may be increasing the risk of both…

Bristol Myers Squibb is extending a research collaboration with the artificial intelligence company Insitro to design new medicines against a novel target in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The target was identified during the previous five-year agreement between the companies, which aimed to discover new molecules that could…