Prize4Life Applauds ALS Patients and Advocates for Testimony at FDA Public Hearing on ALS

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Prize4Life

Cambridge, Mass. (PRWEB) March 04, 2013

Prize4Life, a non-profit dedicated to accelerating the discovery of treatments and a cure for ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) by using powerful incentives to attract new people and drive innovation, acknowledges and appreciates those individuals who shared their testimony with the FDA at the public hearing on ALS held February 25, 2013.

The unprecedented first-ever public hearing included presentations from many ALS organizations, scientists, clinicians, industry representatives, ALS patients, family members, and caregivers urging the FDA to fast track prospective drug treatment therapies. Peter Frates, a Prize4Life Board Member and ALS patient, testified about the challenges patients and their loved-ones face battling the disease. Additionally, Prize4life Scientific Advisory Board Member and ALS Association Chief Scientist Dr. Lucie Bruijn discussed the need to work collaboratively to accelerate treatments and a cure for ALS.

ALS is a devastating disease that attacks the nerve cells that control muscle movement leaving patients increasingly paralyzed. On average, an ALS patient will die within three to five years of diagnosis. Avichai Kremer, Prize4Life CEO and Founder, has been battling the disease since 2004. Upon hearing the testimonies at the FDA hearing, Kremer issued this statement:

“Prize4Life is, and will continue to be, an active contributor in the fight to beat ALS. We will do this by working collaboratively with fellow ALS organizations, researchers, and patients as we identify, and partner to develop, the necessary missing resources and programs that will transform the ALS drug development landscape.    We support the efforts of those on the front-lines battling this disease and believe that actively communicating and working in conjunction with the FDA will lead to new treatments and a cure for ALS. We will continue to support ALS specific grants, award our prizes, utilize our SOD1 mouse colony and share our PRO-ACT database and ALS Forum website with researchers and others around the world. We applaud those who testified at the public hearing who are helping to accelerate the development of treatments for this terrible disease and will work to support them with all the resources at our disposal.”

Each day ALS researchers around the world add new pieces to the puzzle, discovering new genes and new biomarkers, and with the critical help of clinicians they are starting to fit the pieces together. If the FDA is willing to contribute their time and efforts in the battle against ALS, there is an increased likelihood that more effective treatments for the disease will be developed to help treat the thousands of patients living with ALS.    

About Prize4Life
Prize4Life is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to accelerate the discovery of treatments and a cure for ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) by using powerful incentives to attract new people and drive innovation. Prize4Life believes that solutions to some of the biggest challenges in ALS research will require out-of-the-box thinking, and that some of the most critical discoveries may come from unlikely places. Founded in 2006 by Avi Kremer, who was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 29, Prize4Life encourages and rewards creative approaches that will yield real results for ALS patients. For more information, visit http://www.prize4life.org.

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