Disease Areas

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that robs people of the ability to move and leads them to lose their ability to speak — and eventually breathe.1

Our Approach

For over a decade, Biogen has been committed to advancing ALS research to provide a deeper understanding of all forms of this devastating disease, which currently impacts an estimated 352,000 people worldwide.2,3*

Innovative Research

By leveraging established scientific capabilities and embarking on strong R&D collaborations, we’re determined to follow the science to advance a comprehensive, multi-modality ALS portfolio that fosters our long-term leadership in this space.

 

Mechanism of Disease: ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal, adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder. Symptoms include progressive muscle weakness, paralysis and respiratory complications. Learn more about how the disease progresses in adults.

Facts and Figures

352k

ALS impacts approximately 352,000 people worldwide. 2,3*

3–5y

Average life expectancy for people with ALS is three to five years from the time of symptom onset.4

2%

Two percent of ALS cases are caused by mutations in the SOD1 gene. Life expectancy in SOD1-ALS varies widely, with some patients surviving less than a year. 5

References
  1. Brown RH, Al-Chalabi A. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. N Engl J Med. 2017 Jul 13
  2. Xu 2020. Reference: Xu L, Liu T, Liu L, Yao X, Chen L, Fan D, Zhan S, Wang S. Global variation in prevalence and incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Neurol. 2020 Apr;267(4):944-953
  3. United Nations, World population prospects: The 2010 revision (2022). New York.
    * calculated based on prevalence estimates and applied to the global population
  4. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis-als. Accessed: April 2023.
  5. Brown CA, Lally C, Kupelian V, Flanders WD. Estimated Prevalence and Incidence of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and SOD1 and C9orf72 Genetic Variants. Neuroepidemiology. 2021