20 global teams will receive early-stage funding and access to the world’s largest ALS dataset to help identify promising new drug targets. One team will ultimately win £1 million

A new £7.5 million global challenge prize has launched to incentivise the use of artificial intelligence to accelerate drug discovery for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common form of motor neurone disease (MND).

The Longitude Prize on ALS, designed and delivered by Challenge Works and principally funded by the Motor Neurone Disease Association, aims to transform the pace of discovery and development of treatments. While the complexity of ALS has long thwarted effective drug development, the rapid progress in AI and the availability of rich patient datasets offer an unprecedented opportunity to change that.

The Prize opens for entries today and will award 20 ‘Discovery Awards’ of £100,000 in 2026, granting teams access to the largest and most comprehensive ALS patient dataset of its kind. One overall winner will receive a £1 million prize in 2031.

“ALS is astonishingly complex, which is why it’s been so difficult to develop treatments that truly fight this hideous disease,” said Tris Dyson, managing director at Challenge Works, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2023.

“But now, AI offers the potential to unlock insights from the vast datasets we’ve built up over the last decade. The Longitude Prize on ALS convenes these resources for the first time, rewarding researchers who can use AI to uncover the most promising drug targets. This could be game-changing.”

A turning point in ALS research

ALS is a fatal, progressive neurodegenerative condition that affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Over time, it leads to muscle wasting, including the muscles that control speech, swallowing, and breathing. There is currently no cure, and only limited treatments exist to modestly slow progression.

There is a 1 in 300 chance that an individual will develop MND in their lifetime, and around 90% of cases are ALS. In the UK, approximately 5,000 people are living with MND at any given time.

Despite tireless research efforts, most therapies in development fail to reach patients. This is largely due to the heterogeneity and biological complexity of ALS. However, recent advances in machine learning and access to high-quality data now provide powerful tools to change this trajectory.

“The launch of the Longitude Prize on ALS is a landmark moment,” said Professor Ammar Al-Chalabi, director of the UK Motor Neuron Disease Research Institute.

“AI-led drug discovery could help us identify new therapeutic targets—specific molecules in the body that can be acted on by drugs. This Prize creates a global platform to support exactly that.”

International support and public backing

The Prize is backed by a coalition of major ALS/MND organisations, including the Alan Davidson Foundation, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, LifeArc, FightMND, The 10,000 Brains Project, Answer ALS, and The Packard Center at Johns Hopkins. It is also supported by Nesta, the UK’s innovation agency for social good.

A recent international survey of people living with ALS/MND and their families found:

• 85% believe the world needs to pay greater attention to the disease

• Just 20% believe MND is a priority for drug developers

• Only 9% believe it’s a priority for their government

• 74% would be happy for their or their loved one’s biological data to be shared with researchers

• 85% want tech companies and universities to work more closely on treatments

• 74% want to see AI used in the fight against MND

Carrying on Stephen Hawking’s legacy

“The Longitude Prize on ALS is an important step forward,” said Lucy Hawking, journalist and daughter of the MND Association’s late Patron, Professor Stephen Hawking. “I hope it encourages the use of AI to gain new insights into this devastating condition. My father lived with MND for more than 50 years, and his great wish was that one day a cure would be found. I’m proud to support this initiative and all those taking part.”

A multi-stage journey to discovery

The Prize will progress through several stages over five years:

• 2026: 20 teams awarded £100,000 and access to the ALS dataset

• 2027: 10 teams selected to receive an additional £200,000 to further test their therapeutic hypotheses

• 2028: 5 teams awarded £500,000 each to validate targets in the wet lab

• 2031: One team receives the £1 million grand prize for identifying the most promising target for treatment

Challenge Works will provide ongoing support to finalist teams, fostering collaborations across disciplines such as AI, ALS biology, bioinformatics, and drug discovery.

Beyond funding, participants will gain access to a groundbreaking data resource comprising genomic, transcriptomic, clinical, and biospecimen data. This will be hosted on DNANexus via Amazon Web Services and supported by partners including Project MinE, Answer ALS, New York Genome Center (NYGC), ALS Compute, and the ALS Therapy Development Institute.

“For too long, ALS research has been hampered by fragmented data,” said Tanya Curry, CEO of the Motor Neurone Disease Association. “This Prize brings together the world’s largest dataset and unites some of the brightest minds across AI, life sciences, and patient advocacy. It marks a step-change in how we understand and tackle this devastating disease.”

The Longitude Prize on ALS is the third in a series of challenge prizes delivered by Challenge Works, following its prizes on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and dementia.