A brand new prize value £7.5m has been launched to encourage the event of latest remedies for ALS utilizing AI expertise.
The Longitude Prize on ALS, delivered by Problem Works and principally funded by the MND Affiliation, has invited medical researchers and biotech groups to current automated approaches to drug discovery to search out new remedies for motor neurone illness, often known as MND.
Solely restricted remedies for the situation at present exist and are usually solely capable of sluggish the development of the illness somewhat than deal with it long-term. Nonetheless Problem Works claims that new advances in AI current the most effective alternative but to develop new medicines.
“ALS is astonishingly complicated which is why it has been so troublesome to develop remedies that really struggle this hideous illness. Tireless fundraising within the final decade has created a wealth of knowledge on ALS that simply didn’t exist earlier than, and we’re at a turning level,” mentioned Problem Works managing director and ALS affected person Tris Dyson (pictured).
“By no means earlier than have we had the facility to unlock the complexity of MND, and particularly ALS, and speed up alongside the street to long-term remedies, and, I hope sooner or later, a remedy.
“The Longitude Prize on ALS makes this potential, convening the biggest information set of ALS affected person information of its type ever made out there and rewarding researchers to make use of AI to establish probably the most promising drug targets.”
The prize will initially reward 20 of probably the most promising entrants with £100,000, after which 10 groups will progress to the second stage, receiving an additional £200,000, with the listing then lowered to 5 groups receiving an extra £500,000. One profitable crew will then obtain an extra £1m.
“Progressive approaches to drug discovery may very well be recreation altering when it comes to how we perceive ALS,” mentioned Professor Ammar Al-Chalabi, director of the UK Motor Neuron Illness Analysis Institute.
“Utilizing AI-led innovation to uncover particular molecules within the physique linked to the illness that may be focused with a drug is step one to discovering efficient remedies. The chance The Longitude Prize on ALS presents is big.”
The Longitude Prize on ALS can be supported by Nesta, the Alan Davidson Basis, My Identify’5 Doddie Basis, LifeArc, FightMND, the ten,000 Brains Undertaking, Reply ALS and the Packard Middle at Johns Hopkins.
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