Project Goal and SDG Alignment
The main goal of our project is to create a cost-efficient treatment solution, addressing Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3.8 and 3.d. SDG 3.8 aims to ensure that all people have access to essential health services without suffering financial hardship, while SDG 3.d targets to improve the capacity of countries to prevent, detect, and respond to health risks. The main ways our project will aim to address these issues are through less expensive treatments and better transportation.
The Problem – High Cost of Current ALS Treatments
Furthermore, Tofersen (brand name Qalsody), a recently approved therapy for ALS patients with SOD1 mutations, highlights the extreme cost burden of current treatment options. The list price per dose is $14,230, which translates to approximately $199,200 in the first year of treatment and about $185,000 annually thereafter for maintenance. Such high direct and indirect costs make Tofersen financially inaccessible for many patients, compounding the already significant care burden associated with ALS.
The Solution – Affordable and Transportable Treatment
In contrast, our approach offers an affordable alternative, designed to reduce reliance on costly hospitalizations while maintaining effectiveness. By lowering treatment costs without compromising outcomes, we aim to provide a more sustainable and accessible path forward for ALS care.
Having less expensive treatments will allow a greater capacity of countries to prevent, detect, and respond to health risks, especially less developed countries, as patients will have access to essential treatment without facing catastrophic financial hardship, addressing SDG 3.8. Reducing the cost of ALS treatment also strengthens global health preparedness, as outlined in SDG 3.d, as the high price and infrastructure demands of traditional ALS care makes it nearly impossible for low and middle-income countries to afford. With a treatment that is cost effective, our project will be of use to patients of all countries.
While our primary focus lies in combating expensive treatments, our efforts also contribute significantly to better transportation. Unlike traditional ALS treatments that often require specialized equipment, hospital visits, or cold-chain storage, our solution can be easily transported and administered in a wider range of settings. This not only reduces the environmental and economic costs associated with frequent hospitalizations and complex logistics, but also ensures that patients in underserved or remote communities have equitable access to care.
By minimizing dependence on resource-intensive infrastructure, our treatment represents a more sustainable and scalable alternative for ALS management. A transportable ALS treatment supports SDG 3.8 by making care more accessible and affordable, while also advancing SDG 3.d by enabling scalable delivery in developing countries, which strengthens health system resilience and preparedness for future challenges.
Citations
[1] K. Stenson, S. Chew, S. Dong, K. Heithoff, M.-J. Wang, and J. Rosenfeld, “Health care resource utilization and costs across stages of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the United States,” J. Manag. Care Spec. Pharm., vol. 30, no. 11, pp. 1239–1247, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.18553/jmcp.2024.30.11.1239.
[2] G. Shaw, “Cautious Optimism for Newly Approved Drug for Rare Form of Genetic ALS,” Neurol. Today, vol. 23, no. 11, p. 1, June 2023, doi: 10.1097/01.NT.0000942732.02865.4b.
[3] “FDA Approves Biogen and Ionis’ Qalsody as Fourth-Ever ALS Therapy - BioSpace.” Accessed: Sept. 28, 2025. [Online]. Available: BioSpace Article