Previewing the 2026 NEALS Annual Meeting
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Welcome to the NeurologyLive® Mind Moments® podcast. Tune in to hear leaders in neurology sound off on topics that impact your clinical practice.
In this episode of Mind Moments, Nicholas J. Maragakis, MD, director of the Center for ALS Specialty Care at Johns Hopkins, and Jinsy Andrews, MD, director of the ALS Clinic and director of clinical trials at NYU Langone Health, join the podcast to preview the 2026 Network of Excellence for ALS (NEALS) Annual Meeting, taking place October 27-30 in Clearwater, Florida. The duo discusses the meeting's major scientific themes, emerging clinical research, and the growing emphasis on earlier intervention, precision medicine, and innovative therapeutic development for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The conversation explores new programming focused on presymptomatic ALS, including the ATLAS and Prevent ALS studies, along with updates on ongoing clinical trials and emerging approaches targeting SOD1, FUS, TDP-43, and other disease-related pathways. Maragakis and Andrews also examine advances in trial design, biomarker-guided treatment strategies, antisense oligonucleotides, and gene-targeted therapies, while highlighting the importance of collaboration among researchers, clinicians, industry partners, and individuals living with ALS. Together, they outline what attendees can expect from NEALS 2026 and how these developments could shape the future of ALS research and clinical care.
Looking for more Neuromuscular discussion? Check out the NeurologyLive® Neuromuscular clinical focus page.
Episode Breakdown:
- 1:15 – Overview of NEALS, its expanded clinical research network, and the 2026 meeting's objectives
- 3:00 – New meeting programming focused on presymptomatic ALS, genetic risk, and prevention studies
- 7:05 – Notable clinical trials, emerging therapeutic targets, and research innovations featured at NEALS 2026
- 9:55 – Evolution of ALS clinical trial design, including platform studies, precision medicine, and biomarkers
- 14:10– Neurology News Minute
- 16:25 – Emerging gene-targeted therapies, ASOs, viral vectors, and lessons from other neuromuscular disorders
- 20:40 – Key clinical takeaways emphasizing scientific collaboration, patient involvement, and future ALS treatment development
The stories featured in this week's Neurology News Minute, which will give you quick updates on the following developments in neurology, are further detailed here:
Congress Passes ACT for ALS Reauthorization, Extending Research Programs
Phase 4 THRIVE Data Highlights Eptinezumab’s Impact on Migraine After Prior CGRP Failure
Solengepras Meets Primary Endpoint in Phase 3 ARISE Trial of Parkinson Disease
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