Healey & AMG Center for ALS Launches ALS MyMatch: an Early Phase Biomarker Driven Trial Program

Boston- The Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital is thrilled to announce the launch of our newest initiative, ALS MyMatch, an innovative, early phase, biomarker-driven clinical trial network program made possible by the generous support of an anonymous family foundation. The foundation provided a $2 million philanthropic grant which requires matched fundraising support within the next 12 months.  

With these funds, the ALS MyMatch initiative will develop a patient-centered, efficient approach for screening experimental therapeutics and repurposed drugs in early-phase biomarker driven (Phase 1b/2a) clinical trials in ALS across several experienced trial-ready enrolling centers.  

“We are thrilled to launch the ALS MyMatch, and excited about the potential this initiative holds for ALS research” says Merit Cudkowicz, MD, MSc, Director of the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS and Executive Director of the Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute. “This early phase trial initiative will not only advance the science of ALS research but serve as a pathway for expanding treatment options for patients.”  

Early phase ALS trials represent a critical first step in treating people with investigational products and form the foundation for entire drug development programs. Understanding the right target population and demonstrating drug target engagement are critical components of early phase trials and will be integrated in the design of all ALS MyMatch trials. By utilizing biomarkers, the initiative targets therapies to the right population, ensuring that participants are selected based on their likelihood to respond to treatment.  

To bring results faster, the ALS MyMatch initiative will accelerate early phase trial design, patient identification, and enrollment.  To ensure a strong foundation for all study drugs tested, ALS MyMatch will enroll subpopulations of people with ALS in trials matching their disease biology, employ target engagement biomarkers matched to drug mechanisms, and use AI-driven approaches to hasten drug discovery.  

This approach is designed to generate critical data that empowers confident decision- making about selection and transition of the most promising treatments into late phase efficacy testing and ensuring that the most effective treatments advance in development. There are currently over 50 experimental drugs awaiting early phase clinical trials prior to embarking on pivotal clinical efficacy trials. Successful ALS MyMatch investigational drugs may transition into the HEALEY ALS platform trial, a comprehensive and collaborative late phase trial, or as a standalone trial.  

“At the heart of ALS MyMatch lies the value of rigor and innovation to confidently answer critical scientific questions in early stages of drug development and thoughtfully inform future therapeutic development in ALS,” said Suma Babu, MBBS, MPH, Principal Investigator of ALS MyMatch and co-director of the MGH Neurological Clinical Research Institute (NCRI). “Our vision for ALS MyMatch is to revolutionize the clinical landscape and expedite trial participation for individuals with ALS, paving the way for faster advancements in treatment.”.  

“The team at the MGH NCRI has embraced team science for over three decades, and through this program, we will strengthen our collaborations with top ALS clinical trial sites,” said James Berry, MD, MPH and Sabrina Paganoni, MD, PhD, co-directors of the MGH NCRI. “Our commitment remains steadfast in expanding capacity and streamlining trial operations across all participating ALS centers." 

 The support and partnership of this Foundation has allowed the Healey & AMG center to pursue several new lines of investigation, including launching the first expanded access program (EAP) and initiating a study of people at high risk for ALS to understand the earliest biological, digital and clinical signs (PREVENT ALS) to allow much earlier treatment interventions. Both these initiatives were started with funds from the Foundation and are now funded by federal grants. 

For more information about research opportunities at the Healey & AMG Center, please visit our website. To stay up to date on the latest news from the center, join our ALS Link mailing list.  

About the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General  
At the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Mass General, we are committed to bringing together a global network of scientists, physicians, nurses, foundations, federal agencies, and people living with ALS, their loved ones, and caregivers to accelerate the pace of ALS therapy discovery and development.  
 
Launched in November 2018, the Healey & AMG Center, under the leadership of Merit Cudkowicz, MD and a Science Advisory Council of international experts, is reimagining how to develop and test the most promising therapies to treat the disease, identify cures and ultimately prevent it.  
 
With dozens of active clinical trials and lab-based research studies in progress right now, we are ushering in a new phase of ALS treatment and care. Together, we will find the cures.