November 14, 2003

New ALS research effort supported by CVS donation

A new research initiative to battle against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), was
announced Oct. 31. At a kickoff event, held at the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease at CNY Building 114, MGH physician Robert Brown, MD, PhD, who is leading the effort, described how the program will use the latest scientific approaches to develop potential new treatments for the illness, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Brown explained that single-gene defects are responsible for only 10 percent of instances of the devastating neurologic illness.

The new endeavor is made possible by $1.7 million dollars raised by CVS/pharmacy. Speaking at the event, John Roberts — a CVS senior vice president whose wife died from ALS and received care at the MGH — explained how an enthusiastic spirit among store employees led to the company's more than tripling its original fundraising goal. Additional funding for this project also has been provided by the National Institutes of Health, the Angel Fund, Project ALS, the ALS Association and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

From left, Jack Kramer from CVS, Roberts, Brown, Anne Young, MD, chief of MGH Neurology, and Joseph Martin, MD, dean of Harvard Medical School.