Prudential Tower to Shine in Purple Wednesday for Local Nonprofit, ALS TDI

On Wednesday, December 4, the Prudential Tower in Boston will light up in purple to bring awareness to the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) and its research to end ALS, as well as to commemorate the 21st Annual Meeting of the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations being held on December 3 and 4. The lighting is part of the Prudential Tower’s 31 Nights of Light program that brings awareness to participating nonprofit organizations each night during the month of December.

At 5:00PM on December 4, ALS TDI representatives will be staged in Center Court within The Shops at Prudential Center and symbolically “flip the switch” of the Prudential Tower lights. Additionally, ALS TDI will host a short speaking program prior to the lighting and will honor local people with ALS (PALS) who inspire and motivate the research at ALS TDI via ornaments adorning a holiday tree.

ALS, also known as “Lou Gehrig’s disease,” is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to paralysis, and eventually death. It takes away a person’s ability to walk, move, and talk, but keeps the mind intact. There is no cure for the disease, and no effective treatment. There are approximately 30,000 people in the US living with ALS, and the average patient survives less than five years following his or her diagnosis.

ALS TDI was founded in Newton in 1999 by James Allen Heywood – three months after his brother Stephen was diagnosed with the disease. As an independent research center, it’s singular focus is to discover and develop effective therapies to end amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease). Today, ALS TDI has grown to become the world’s largest independent ALS drug development-focused nonprofit organization. It currently has partnerships with dozens of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide in order to advance potential treatments into the clinic. Its lead ALS therapeutic candidate, Novartis’ (Switzerland) Gilenya (TDI-132), is currently in Phase IIA clinical trial for ALS.

This is the first year ALS TDI is being recognized and taking part in the Prudential Tower’s 31 Nights of Light program. For more information about 31 Nights of Light, please visit: http://www.prudentialcenter.com/events/premier_event_detail.php?id=234. Also, be sure to check out photos from the 12/4 event on ALS TDI’s Facebook and Twitter pages!