Milestone Reached Just Five Months After Launch of Fundraising Effort
Funding Supports Groundbreaking, Multi-Institutional Study
February 22, 2017 — DALLAS, TX — Warlick’s Warriors: Aviators Against ALS announced today that it has surpassed $2.1 million in contributions and pledges in its quest to raise $5 million for Answer ALS, the most promising research effort ever undertaken to cure amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The milestone comes just five months after American Airlines, Inc. made a $1 million commitment to support the Warlick’s Warriors initiative, founded by Peter Warlick.
In addition to American Airlines, a number of corporations within the aviation industry and finance community have made significant financial commitments totaling $770,000, including: Aercap, Aircastle Limited, Altavair, Avolon, BBAM, Boeing, CFM, Credit Agricole CIB, Deutsche Bank, Embraer, GA Telesis, GE Aviation, GECAS, Goldman Sachs, McKesson, Morgan Stanley, NORDAM, and Skyworks Capital.
Joining the many corporations who have donated, more than 200 individuals have personally donated more than $200,000 to help Warlick’s Warriors to achieve its $5 million goal within the next two years.
Warlick, an American Airlines vice president who was diagnosed with the progressive neurodegenerative disease in 2015, established Warlick’s Warriors to fund the ALS research efforts of Answer ALS, a collaborative, multi-institutional research program led by: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and Washington University School of Medicine.
Answer ALS has organized the most comprehensive biological and clinical analysis of ALS ever, with more than 100 participating scientists, lab and clinic staff involved across six clinical sites in the US. Through its work it has generated more than 100 whole genome sequences, 150 new stem cell lines, and organized and validated a comprehensive collection of patient analytic tools, including DNA, RNA, protein and metabolism. Answer ALS plans to enroll 1000+ ALS patients in this groundbreaking study, and to date has more than 400 participants.
“My family and I are so grateful for the tremendous generosity of so many who have helped us reach this great milestone and build momentum on our way to raising $5 million for this significant research effort,” Warlick said. “I continue to be impressed with the progress Answer ALS is making every day, and its dedicated team of people so intent on finding answers.”
Today, there is no known cure for ALS, yet there are reasons to be hopeful. Recent research advances by Answer ALS and other organizations are working to achieve a better understanding of the disease’s mechanisms and to develop more effective treatments.
About Warlick’s Warriors
Warlick’s Warriors: Aviators Against ALS was established by Peter Warlick in September of 2016 to raise $5 million to support the Answer ALS research program. The goal of the program is to end ALS for future generations.
Warlick’s Warriors is focused on uniting the aviation community against this fatal disease. When companies and individuals donate to Warlick’s Warriors, 100% of funds go directly to the Answer ALS research project.
For more information please visit: warlicks-warriors.demo.cshp.co
About Answer ALS
Answer ALS is the single largest coordinated and collaborative effort to end ALS in the history of the disease. The project will create the largest and most comprehensive foundation of ALS data ever amassed, encompassing clinical, chemical, genetic, protein, historical and biological data from an enormous sampling of ALS patients in the United States.
In collaboration with machine learning and big data technology, the data will be mined to uncover ALS causes, subtypes, pathways gone awry and drug targets. This will establish a unique foundation for new clinical trials, develop new ways to categorize patients to identify druggable pathways, subtype biomarkers and disease pathophysiology to aid not only in early diagnosis of the disease, but also to monitor the efficacy of newly developed treatments. Go to AnswerALS.org to learn more.
