Watertown, MA – The ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) and Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS are proud to honor the commitment of Liz Bodine to facilitate more effective ALS drug discovery at ALS TDI, the world’s most comprehensive drug discovery lab dedicated solely to ALS.
In recognition of a recent $1.5 million grant from Augie’s Quest, coupled with a $650,000 grant from 2019, ALS TDI has installed a plaque in the Discovery Biology Suite that honors Liz Bodine, the many generous and committed friends who donated in her honor, and Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS.
“We are indebted to Liz for her dedication in supporting our effort to find effective treatments for ALS that will meaningfully slow the progression of the disease. The way her friends and family rallied around our cause in her honor is a testament to the light and love she shared with everyone she touched,” said Augie Nieto, Chairman of Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS.”
ALS, also known as Motor Neuron Disease (MND), Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and Charcot’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease which attacks motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord resulting in the wasting away of muscle and loss of movement. Every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with the disease, and the average lifespan is 3-5 years.
“On behalf of my beloved wife, Liz, I would like to express our deep gratitude to Augie’s Quest and ALS TDI for this honor,” said Murray Bodine. “Liz was deeply inspired by the work being funded by Augie’s Quest at the Institute and it gave her purpose and comforted her to know that she was able to contribute to the efforts to find a cure for ALS. She, of course, shares this honor with her many friends and her family who lovingly stood by her and supported her during these past few years.”
ALS TDI’s CEO and Chief Scientific Officer, Fernando Vieira M.D., says that the discovery of new drug targets is vital to the development of effective treatments for ALS. “I am thankful I had the honor of meeting Liz’s husband, Murray, and so many of the friends that made this donation possible last October,” he added.
The Discovery Biology Team will work to strengthen existing and future research efforts by studying mechanisms of clinical ALS and using the knowledge to facilitate more effective drug development in ALS at the Discovery Biology Suite
Dedicated scientists at ALS TDI are working every day to invent and discover the many treatments that will be needed to cure ALS. ALS TDI’s work has enabled multiple therapies for ALS to move forward into human clinical development, and they will continue to discover drugs until there are effective treatments for everyone with ALS. Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS has been the lead funder of their work since 2005.
About ALS Therapy Development Institute
As the Drug Discovery Engine for ALS, the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) discovers and invents ALS treatments and partners to advance them into clinical trials. It is the first and largest nonprofit biotech focused 100% on ALS research. ALS TDI incorporates all aspects of drug discovery under one roof to find treatments as quickly as possible.
Based in Watertown, MA, ALS TDI employs a team of industry trained, drug development experts with more than 300 years of combined experience. ALS TDI is internationally recognized as a leader in preclinical and translational ALS research, and partners with pharmaceutical companies and biotech organizations all around the world. Rated a four-star nonprofit on Charity Navigator, ALS TDI spends 87 cents of every dollar raised on finding effective treatments and cures for ALS. Visit www.als.net for more information.
About Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS
Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS is a nonprofit committed to changing the experience of people living with ALS by fast-tracking cutting-edge research to advance effective treatments and an ultimate cure. The organization is galvanizing thousands to join this fight, confronting ALS in an entirely new way, and driving innovative research forward, and at an accelerated pace. Augie’s Quest was founded in 2005 byAugie Nieto, the successful fitness industry mogul behind Lifecycle and Life Fitness who has been living with ALS since 2005 and whose life story was chronicled in the award-winning film, Augie. Please join our Quest at www.augiesquest.org.
