Longitude Prize funding accelerates AI-driven ALS target discovery

OutSee has been selected for a Discovery Award from the Longitude Prize on ALS, providing access to one of the world’s largest amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient datasets alongside £100,000 in funding to support AI-driven target discovery.

The project will use OutSee’s genomics-first platform, Nomaly, to analyse genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic and proteomic data from thousands of ALS patients. The aim is to identify novel therapeutic targets for a disease that remains incurable and progressively debilitating.

The dataset includes whole genome sequencing from 9,000 ALS patients, alongside multi-omics and clinical data, enabling more integrated analysis of disease mechanisms. The initiative forms part of a £7.5 million global challenge prize designed to accelerate innovation in AI-based drug discovery for ALS.

OutSee will conduct a nine-month research programme applying predictive modelling approaches intended to uncover disease signals that may not be visible through conventional analysis methods. The company will also collaborate with academic partners, including the University of Oxford, to support validation of potential targets.

Dr Chang Lu, Chief Scientific Officer, OutSee, said:

“This award provides access to ALS genomic data at an unprecedented scale and will support our AI-driven approach to identifying new therapeutic targets.”

The Longitude Prize on ALS brings together funding bodies including the MND Association, LifeArc and other international research organisations.

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