Answer ALS Foundation

Our mission is to create the world's most thorough and integrated assessment of ALS by combining clinical, genetic, molecular, and biochemical data, and to freely share these findings with the global research community to accelerate understanding and treatment of the disease.

Answer ALS has achieved several notable successes as the largest and most comprehensive research initiative focused on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Launched following the 2013 ALS Team Gleason Summit and driven by a strategic plan developed within a year, it has grown into a global collaboration involving nearly two dozen institutions, over 2,500 ALS patients, and numerous technology partners. Here are some key accomplishments:

1. Unprecedented Data Collection and global sharing
2. Open Data Sharing Resulting in Over 600 Research Projects as of March 2026
3. Technological advances with global tech and biotech industry leaders
4. Scientific Breakthroughs as evidenced by 88 peer-reviewed published papers
5. Patient-Centric Approach with both clinic and home based participation

These successes position Answer ALS as a transformative force in ALS research, aiming not just to understand the disease but to identify subtypes and develop customized treatments-ultimately striving to make ALS a livable condition or find a cure. Its emphasis on collaboration, scale, and technology continues to drive progress where traditional efforts have struggled.

Testimonials

"My years at Caterpillar taught me great innovation comes from great collaboration, which is what attracted me to Answer ALS shortly after my diagnosis." Ed Rapp, Former Caterpillar Global President

“Answer ALS represents a new standard for what’s possible when rich biological data meets cutting-edge AI. Using their harmonized multi-omic dataset and patient-derived samples, our models have achieved breakthrough accuracy in predicting disease progression and surfacing novel therapeutic hypotheses. The scale, quality, and accessibility of this resource have enabled us to generate insights that are now directly informing both academic and industry research programs worldwide.” Global Tech Company Researcher

“Answer ALS has become one of the most valuable resources in our ALS drug discovery efforts. The combination of deeply phenotyped clinical data and matched multi-omic samples from hundreds of participants enabled our team to rapidly validate new therapeutic targets that would have taken years to identify using traditional approaches. The harmonized, batch-released datasets have dramatically accelerated our pipeline and increased our confidence in moving candidates forward.” Pharmaceutical Company, Neuroscience Researcher