Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Overview
Understanding and Living With ALS
ALS is a progressive and incurable neurodegenerative disease that causes motor nerve cells (motor neurons) in the spinal cord, brainstem, and brain to deteriorate over time. Because the body's motor neurons are responsible for stimulating muscles, the brain loses its ability to initiate and control certain muscle movements. Over time, this results in progressive weakness and paralysis. In later stages of the disease, a person with ALS may be bed bound or chair bound, be on mechanical ventilation and/or require a full-time caregiver.
~35K
people in the U.S. have ALS
~5K
people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS annually
90–95%
have no family history of ALS
Connect With ALS Support
Explore programs that offer information, support and ways to connect with others in the ALS community.
JourneyMate Support Program™
The JourneyMate Support Program offers educational support and personalized resources for people with ALS who have been prescribed a Shionogi product and their caregivers.
Share Your Story
The Share Your Story program helps people living with rare, progressive, neurological conditions share their stories. By creating videos, writing an articles or creating social content, these experiences, may help others on the same journey feel supported.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to some common questions about ALS.
What is ALS?
ALS, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive and incurable neurodegenerative disease. It causes the motor neurons in a person’s spinal cord, brainstem and brain to deteriorate and die over time. Since the body’s motor neurons are responsible for stimulating muscles into action, this disease leads to debilitating muscle weakness.
What does ALS stand for?
ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Is there a cure for ALS?
Currently, there is no cure for ALS. That is why Shionogi is committed to driving scientific discovery and development for complex conditions like ALS.
Is ALS inherited?
While ALS can be inherited, between 90-95% of people with ALS have no family history of ALS.
How many people in the United States live with ALS?
About 35,000 people in the United States have ALS, and about 5,000 new ALS cases are diagnosed annually.
What does it mean that ALS is progressive?
As a progressive disease, the symptoms of ALS continue to worsen over time. People with ALS lose strength in their muscles and become weaker, which limit movement, create progressive weakness and paralysis.
Is ALS the same thing as Lou Gehrig’s disease?
ALS was first discovered in studies conducted between 1865 and 1869 by French neurologist Jean-Martin Carcot. The condition became widely known in the late 1930s as Lou Gehrig’s disease given the diagnosis of the American baseball player bearing the same name.
Get in Touch
Have a general question about Shionogi or our work in ALS? Contact our team.