ALS NETWORK ANNOUNCES RESEARCH FUNDS AWARDED TO LIVERMORE LAB FOUNDATION

Researchers to Analyze Medication Effects on Development and Progression of ALS and Parkinson's Diseases

LOS ANGELES, May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The ALS Network, formerly ALS Golden West, in partnership with the ALS CURE Project, Livermore Lab Foundation, RDM Positive Impact Foundation, and Stanford University, is supporting a $300,000 collaborative research effort at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Led by Priyadip Ray, PhD, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Richard Reimer, MD, Stanford University and Veterans Administration; Jennifer Wilson, PhD, University of California Los Angeles; and Kevin Grimes, MD, Stanford University, the project seeks to better understand environmental factors, specifically medications, and their effects on ALS and Parkinson's diseases.

"Medications typically have well defined therapeutic targets but often also have off-target effects," said Dr. Ray. "Our long-term goal is to identify associations between medications and progression of neurodegenerative diseases through the analysis of electronic health records (EHRs). As an initial step, we have focused on ALS as a proof of principle study."

The funds will allow researchers to expand previous work funded by the Livermore Lab Foundation with support from the ALS CURE Project, which focused on EHR data for more than 20,000 veterans diagnosed with ALS - a group that for unknown reasons develops ALS up to 1.5 times the rate of the general population. Initial analysis yielded multiple drugs and drug classes associated with longer survival. However, a key limitation of the initial study included demographic characteristics of the veteran population differing significantly from a general population, most notably the male predominance and military experience – both known risk factors for developing ALS and potentially limiting the generalizability of the findings.

Expansion of the project includes leveraging the Optum EHR dataset of millions of unique patient records. Access to Optum, provided by Stanford, will enable the team to assemble a longitudinal EHR dataset for patients diagnosed with ALS that LLNL's machine learning tools can assess to identify potential drug repurposing candidates that slow progression.

The RDM Positive Impact Foundation's contribution will support parallel work for Parkinson's using the Optum EHR dataset which will leverage the research techniques used in the ALS research. In addition, the research will identify patterns or similarities across the ALS and Parkinson's disease states that can accelerate therapies for all neurodegenerative disorders.

 Approximately $35,000 was contributed to the overall project from the ALS Network's multifaceted research program where partnering scientists seek to yield significant results in a disease category historically void of positive outcomes. ALS Network's research program includes a strong partnership with ALS United, whose members combine resources to efficiently power cutting edge science. The ALS Network's Scientific Advisory Committee, composed of world-renowned researchers, scientists, and healthcare industry leaders review and select the most promising projects and moonshot efforts for funding.

 "The ALS Network's research-funding model is an ambitious program driven by urgency and innovation," said Sheri Strahl, MPH, MBA, president and CEO of the ALS Network. "Providing funding to these experts will lead to greater discovery and progress critically needed to find better treatments and cures."

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a fatal, neurodegenerative illness that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. People with ALS lose the ability to move, speak, swallow, and, eventually, to breathe. People who have served in any branch of the military are diagnosed with ALS nearly twice as often as the general population. Currently, there are no known cures for ALS.

About the ALS Network

The ALS Network partners with the ALS community to drive the discovery of prevention strategies, treatments, and cures for ALS; provide access to quality care and connection; and promote initiatives to improve health outcomes. The ALS Network, formerly ALS Golden West, serves people with ALS and their families throughout California, Hawaii, and beyond. For more information about ALS and the ALS Network visit our website at alsnetwork.org or email us at [email protected]. You can also find us on social media at @yourALSnetwork.

About the ALS CURE Project

The ALS CURE Project, is an all volunteer charity laser focused on leading and funding research leading to a cure for ALS. The ALS CURE Project was founded by Mike and Stephen Piscotty to honor Gretchen Piscotty, following her passing in 2018. The ALS CURE Project has funded over $4 million in international ALS research and facilitates the international ALS Innovation Symposium attended by ALS researchers from 19 nations. For more information about the ALS CURE Project you can visit their website alscure.org or email them at [email protected].

About the Livermore Lab Foundation

The Livermore Lab Foundation is an independent key philanthropic partner to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, providing mechanisms for public and private investments, grants and philanthropic gifts that support research, innovation, workforce and STEM education initiatives at LLNL. For more information about the Foundation you can visit their website livermorelabfoundation.org or email them at [email protected].

About Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

For 70 years, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has leveraged science and technology to make the world a safer place. LLNL's defining responsibility is ensuring the safety, security and effectiveness of the nation's nuclear deterrent. The Laboratory's enduring ideals guide its mission-driven, applying cutting-edge science and technology to achieve breakthroughs in enterprise resilience and counterterrorism, defense and intelligence, energy security and research and development to produce fundamental science discoveries and faster innovation cycles. For more information visit llnl.gov.

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SOURCE ALS Network