The Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Drug Development Program
The Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Drug Development Program supports academic and industry investigators conducting preclinical studies of new or repurposed ALS therapies to advance them toward clinical testing.
Funder: ALS Association
Due Dates: October 6, 2026, 1 p.m. US ET (Letter of intent) | December 8, 2026, 1 p.m. US ET (Invited full proposal)
Funding Amounts: Up to $500,000 in total costs for a maximum of two years
Summary: Supports preclinical assessment of novel or repurposed ALS therapies to advance development candidates toward clinical testing.
Key Information: The applicant organization must control the therapeutic’s intellectual property, except for projects repurposing generic medications.
Description
The Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Drug Development Program, administered by the ALS Association, supports academic and industry investigators developing new or repurposed ALS treatments. Applicants should have a development candidate in hand, with a high probability of entering clinical testing within two to three years. The program emphasizes compelling biological rationale, supporting data, and a clear development plan with go/no-go milestones.
Supported work includes in vivo efficacy testing of pharmacological, biological, and gene therapies in ALS models; pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies; preclinical safety and toxicology; dose-range finding; target engagement; and other Investigational New Drug–enabling studies. CNS therapy proposals should demonstrate blood-brain barrier penetration, target selectivity, and target engagement at the proposed dose and treatment duration. Early drug discovery and clinical trials are outside the program’s scope.
