Every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with ALS and will be challenged to choose how they spend their remaining years. Augie’s Quest is determined to change the future of ALS — because we believe that ALS is curable; it’s just underfunded.
By joining the Augie’s Quest Giving Circle, you’ll join a special community composed of passionate and inspirational people who are determined to make a difference in the ALS landscape. When you choose to support ALS research 365 days a year, you are choosing to change the future of ALS.
Meet Ellen Corindia — a United States veteran, wife, dear friend of Augie’s Quest and ALS Champion. When Ellen was 26 years old, she was diagnosed with ALS.
“Being diagnosed with ALS is like being shoved out of a skydiving plane not knowing if your parachute will open. Hitting the ground and death is inevitable, yet we all hope for a lengthy descent with time to enjoy the view. I chose to become a monthly donor to Augie’s Quest in the hopes that more people can have a lengthy parachute ride until the day when life stops shoving people out of the plane in the first place! Please consider joining me. I have never seen a more promising time in ALS therapeutic development. We are getting there. It will continue to take year-round financial commitments. A little bit from lots of people will get us to effective treatments.” – Ellen Corindia
This year, Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS has continued to fast-track the most promising ALS treatments yet. In May 2021, we presented our research partners at the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) with $500,000 in grant funding to help continue making critical advancements in our understanding of ALS and develop new treatments for those living with ALS today.
Eledon Pharmaceuticals announced in August 2021 that its Phase 2 study of AT-1501 in people with ALS should be fully enrolled by year’s end, with results expected between April and September 2022. Due to our initial funding of ALS research, the first AT-1501 subject was enrolled by Eledon Pharmaceuticals in their Phase 2 clinical evaluation trial in November 2020.
The AT-1501 research initiative marks the very first time in history a non-profit organization research project has ever reached this stage of drug development — incredible news that was made possible thanks to generous Augie’s Quest supporters.
In addition to the critical work happening at the Augie’s Quest Translational Research Center at ALS TDI, Augie’s Quest is very excited to support an emerging research project at Duke University led by Richard S. Bedlack Jr., MD, PhD, studying the potential role of the gut microbiome in ALS progression and reversals.
People with ALS have markedly different disease progression rates, and a rare few even have ‘reversals’, recovering most or all of their lost motor function. While demographics, clinical characteristics and genetics can predict some of this variability, none of these completely explains the different progressions rates. Understanding the factors that influence the variability in disease progression may lead to new treatments that slow the disease down in all patients.
We are determined more now than ever, to continue funding the best science and most promising research to fast-track effective treatments and find a cure for this devastating disease. Today, there is real hope, like never before. But we need your support in this critical fight. Join our Giving Circle and support ALS research 365 days a year.
