EXPErimental medicine Route To Success in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (EXPERTS-ALS)

The aim of this trial is to evaluate the ability of candidate drugs to lower the blood neurofilament light chain (NFL) levels in an individual. 

Blood NFL represents the most promising blood biomarker in MND to date. The NFL level at the time of diagnosis of MND may be associated with the rate of disability progression and tends to stay the same for an individual throughout their disease course. 

People with MND will be offered the opportunity to take one of three drugs being tested at any one time. Initially these will be so-called ‘repurposed’ drugs that laboratory tests have shown to have possible benefit in MND. 

If the levels of NFL in the participant group are found to be falling significantly, then that drug will be prioritised for one of the larger phase 3 platforms such as MND-SMART, so that its potential as a treatment can be tested more rigorously. 

EXPERTS-ALS is led by Professor Chris McDermott at the University of Sheffield and Professor Martin Turner at the University of Oxford. 

It involves 11 MND centres around the UK and is being sponsored by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. 

It is a flagship study within the broader portfolio of the UK MND Research Institute. 

Further information

For further information please visit the EXPERT-ALS website (external website).

Diagnosis of ALS accordiing to Gold Coast Criteria

Age at least 18 at time of consent

Other eligibility criteria apply; please visit the EXPERT-ALS website or speak to your MND healthcare professional