This page provides a comparative investment analysis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), two related neurodegenerative diseases that share common pathological features and overlapping therapeutic approaches. The analysis examines clinical trial activity, pharmaceutical company investment, and therapeutic pipeline developments for both conditions.
This comparative analysis examines the investment landscapes of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), two neurodegenerative disorders linked by clinical, genetic, and pathological overlap. The analysis compares trial activity, sponsor engagement, therapeutic mechanism coverage, and funding gaps to identify cross-disease investment opportunities and inform strategic prioritization. [@clinicaltrialsgov]
This page provides a side-by-side comparison of the R&D investment landscape for [Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)](/diseases/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis) and [Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)](/diseases/frontotemporal-dementia), two devastating neurodegenerative conditions that share clinical, genetic, and pathological overlaps. Data is sourced from the local [Clinical Trials Index](/clinical-trials) pipeline snapshot refreshed on `2026-03-12T04:24:37`. [@clinicaltrialsgova]
--- [@als]
This page provides a comparative investment analysis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), two related neurodegenerative diseases that share common pathological features and overlapping therapeutic approaches. The analysis examines clinical trial activity, pharmaceutical company investment, and therapeutic pipeline developments for both conditions.
This comparative analysis examines the investment landscapes of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), two neurodegenerative disorders linked by clinical, genetic, and pathological overlap. The analysis compares trial activity, sponsor engagement, therapeutic mechanism coverage, and funding gaps to identify cross-disease investment opportunities and inform strategic prioritization. [@clinicaltrialsgov]
This page provides a side-by-side comparison of the R&D investment landscape for [Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)](/diseases/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis) and [Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)](/diseases/frontotemporal-dementia), two devastating neurodegenerative conditions that share clinical, genetic, and pathological overlaps. Data is sourced from the local [Clinical Trials Index](/clinical-trials) pipeline snapshot refreshed on `2026-03-12T04:24:37`. [@clinicaltrialsgova]
--- [@als]
| Metric | ALS | FTD | Differential | [@association]
|---|---:|---:|---:|
| Total tracked trials | 1,568 | 380 | ALS has 4.1x more trials |
| Active trials (recruiting/active/not-yet-recruiting) | 454 (29.0%) | 137 (36.1%) | FTD has higher active proportion |
| Completed trials | 746 (47.6%) | 172 (45.3%) | Similar completion rates |
| Late-stage representation (Phase 3/4) | 140 (8.9%) | 23 (6.1%) | ALS has 46% more late-stage trials |
| Biomarker-forward programs | 124 (7.9%) | 67 (17.6%) | FTD has 2.2x more biomarker trials |
| Combination-therapy signals | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | Both lacking |
| Category | ALS Trials | ALS Share | FTD Trials | FTD Share |
|---|---|---:|---:|---:|
| Active/Recruiting | 454 | 29.0% | 137 | 36.1% |
| Not Yet Recruiting | 83 | 5.3% | 16 | 4.2% |
| Recruiting | 273 | 17.4% | 84 | 22.1% |
| Active Not Recruiting | 78 | 5.0% | 24 | 6.3% |
| Enrolling By Invitation | 20 | 1.3% | 13 | 3.4% |
| Historical | 903 | 57.6% | 202 | 53.2% |
| Completed | 746 | 47.6% | 172 | 45.3% |
| Terminated | 103 | 6.6% | 19 | 5.0% |
| Withdrawn | 39 | 2.5% | 10 | 2.6% |
| Suspended | 9 | 0.6% | 0 | 0.0% |
| No Longer Available | 6 | 0.4% | 1 | 0.3% |
| Unknown | 203 | 12.9% | 41 | 10.8% |
| Mechanism Cluster | ALS Trials | ALS Share | FTD Trials | FTD Share |
|---|---:|---:|---:|---:|
| [Mitochondrial biology](/mechanisms/mitochondrial-dysfunction-ad) | 696 | 44.4% | 47 | 12.4% |
| [Genetic / gene-targeted](/mechanisms/genetic-risk-factors) | 117 | 7.5% | 71 | 18.7% |
| [Amyloid biology](/mechanisms/amyloid-biology) | 74 | 4.7% | 14 | 3.7% |
| [Tau biology](/mechanisms/tau-biology) | 37 | 2.4% | 29 | 7.6% |
| [Tau aggregation](/mechanisms/tau-protein-aggregation) | 37 | 2.4% | 29 | 7.6% |
| [Neuroinflammation](/mechanisms/neuroinflammation) | 14 | 0.9% | 0 | 0.0% |
| [Metal ion dysregulation](/mechanisms/metal-ion-dysregulation) | 14 | 0.9% | 0 | 0.0% |
| [Neurotransmitter systems](/mechanisms/cholinergic-hypothesis-ad) | 0 | 0.0% | 7 | 1.8% |
| [Metabolic pathways](/mechanisms/insulin-resistance-and-metabolic-dysfunction) | 12 | 0.8% | 4 | 1.1% |
| [Synaptic dysfunction](/mechanisms/synaptic-dysfunction) | 0 | 0.0% | 4 | 1.1% |
| Sponsor Type | ALS Trials | ALS Share | FTD Trials | FTD Share |
|---|---|---:|---:|---:|
| Academic/Medical | 843 | 53.8% | 223 | 58.7% |
| Other | 354 | 22.6% | 89 | 23.4% |
| Industry | 292 | 18.6% | 56 | 14.7% |
| Public (NIH/Gov) | 46 | 2.9% | 10 | 2.6% |
| Foundation/Nonprofit | 33 | 2.1% | 2 | 0.5% |
| ALS Top Sponsors | Trials | FTD Top Sponsors | Trials |
|---|---:|---|---:|
| Massachusetts General Hospital | 24 | UCSF | 17 |
| Assistance Publique - Hôpitals de Paris | 23 | University of Pennsylvania | 11 |
| Peking University Third Hospital | 22 | Mayo Clinic | 11 |
| Washington University School of Medicine | 16 | Massachusetts General Hospital | 7 |
| Johns Hopkins University | 15 | Nantes University Hospital | 7 |
This analysis should be interpreted alongside:
This analysis uses the Clinical Trials Index pipeline snapshot from 2026-03-12T04:24:37. For methodology details, see the [Clinical Trials Index](/clinical-trials) page.