A prognostic test for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) could help improve and accelerate clinical trials and speed the development of life-saving drugs to people with ALS.

Reports suggest approximately 30,000 people in the United States have ALS; every year, doctors tell about 8,000 people that they have it. Life span is typically three to five years after diagnosis.

Not only will the new test be important in helping physicians predict the likely course of disease — for example, fast versus slow progression — in individuals with ALS, but it will help inform clinical trial enrollment and potentially accelerate the pace of drug development for ALS.

The prognostic test will measure specific protein-based biomarkers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid that indicate the presence of neurodegenerative disease.

Read the full article on ALS biomarkers at PRWeb