MDA’s Translational Research Program represents an innovative way of funding scientific studies — one designed to move new drugs into the clinic as rapidly and efficiently as possible. MDA’s Translational Research Program is funding the gap between discovery and clinical trials, turning ALS research into ALS treatments.

In January of 2007, MDA and Augie’s Quest announced a collaboration with the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) of Cambridge, Massachusetts to apply cutting-edge technologies to ALS drug development.

This large scale plan will cost upwards of $60 million. The partnership with MDA commits MDA to an $18 million kick-off contribution which ALS TDI will match over three years. It is expected to identify the set of genes and proteins that are the main players in disease pathogenesis. Once the scientific community knows what to target, best-in-class therapeutics can be developed, or designed, to hit those targets.

ALS TDI is the world’s most strategic, comprehensive and unbiased target discovery, target validation, and translational research organization working on ALS. MDA is the world leader among voluntary agencies in fighting ALS. MDA’s ALS Division offers the most comprehensive range of services of any health agency in the nation, and leads the search for a treatment or cure.

To learn more about ALS TDI, please visit www.als.net.

To learn more about MDA’s Augie’s Quest initiative, see:

• www.augiesquest.org
• Collaboration Funds Historic $36 Million ALS Drug Search
• Principal Players in Historic ALS Drug-Search Collaboration Meet in Boston for Dedication