Biogen Idec Creates Unprecedented Research Group to Discover ALS Treatment

Biogen Idec (NASDAQ:BIIB) has unveiled its new research consortium which includes various members of leading academic research organizations in its aim to identify possible treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

As quoted in the press release:

“ALS research is a primary area of focus for Biogen Idec, but has proven to be a very difficult disease to understand and treat,” said Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas, Ph.D., senior vice president, chief scientific officer, for Biogen Idec and Professor of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School. “We believe that taking a holistic approach that explores the many variables involved in the development and progression of ALS will speed our ability to identify viable drug targets that can be moved into testing. We are hopeful that the assembly of this extraordinary group will allow unprecedented insights and define a new level of synergy between academic research and Biogen Idec.”

Biogen Idec has committed more than $10 million over three years to fund research projects by members of the Consortium. This initiative will complement and extend a collaboration the company announced earlier this year with Duke University and the Hudson Alpha Institute to sequence the genomes of 1,000 people living with ALS.”

Click here to read the full Biogen Idec (NASDAQ:BIIB) press release.