Eric Dane joins Target ALS for "Ending ALS Starts With You" Campaign to raise $500,000 for ALS Research

Facing ALS head on, the actor aims to raise funds for Target ALS to accelerate progress towards effective treatments for everyone living with the disease

NEW YORK, Nov. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Actor and ALS advocate Eric Dane and Target ALS, a nonprofit breaking down barriers to ALS research, have come together to launch "Ending ALS Starts with You," a campaign to raise $500,000 for ALS research before December 31. Every donation powers Target ALS's innovative model, built to accelerate the development of effective treatments for the devastating disease.

Diagnosed with ALS in November 2024, Dane has become a powerful voice for ALS research. His advocacy even carried onto the screen in a recent episode of NBC's Brilliant Minds where he portrayed a character with ALS. ALS or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a fatal disease affecting motor neurons that causes the loss of muscle control, including the ability to talk, walk, and eventually breathe. The life expectancy after diagnosis averages only two to five years, and current treatments have limited efficacy or application. "I wake up every day and I'm immediately reminded that this is happening. It's not a dream. Still, I don't think this is the end of my story. I don't feel like this is the end of me," says Dane.

By partnering with Target ALS, Dane is amplifying the organization's mission to break down barriers to ALS research to find effective treatments. "I chose to support Target ALS because I know that this organization is making the most headway towards developing effective treatments and I want to play my part to make that possible," says Dane. After receiving his diagnosis, he connected with Target ALS Founder and Former Deputy Mayor of New York City, Dan Doctoroff, who also lives with ALS, to learn more about the research landscape and Target ALS's efforts. "I founded Target ALS in 2013 with a clear vision: to build a world where everyone with ALS lives," says Doctoroff. "I'm grateful that Eric believes in that vision and has joined us to make it a reality." Doctoroff founded Target ALS after losing his father and uncle to the disease and was later diagnosed himself in 2021.

Under Doctoroff's visionary leadership, Target ALS has become the largest and most impactful private funder of ALS research. The organization has transformed the ALS research landscape through its holistic approach: funding the best ideas from scientists around the world, enabling access to scientific tools and resources, and conducting studies that fill critical gaps in our understanding of the disease. To date, Target ALS has invested more than $80M in ALS research, quadrupling its research budget over the last four years. With more than 750 grants funded and 1700 projects supported worldwide, the organization's novel approach has led to the launch of 11 clinical trials and six biotech companies.

While progress in the field has inspired hope, ending ALS relies on the generosity of donors. Ending ALS starts with you. Join Eric Dane and Target ALS this giving season by making a donation to deliver hope, and one day soon, effective treatments to people living with ALS and their families. Make a gift today.

About Target ALSTarget ALS is a medical research foundation breaking down barriers to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) research to find effective treatments. Since 2013, Target ALS has revolutionized ALS research through its Innovation Ecosystem. By democratizing research through an unbiased review process, providing access to cutting-edge research tools, facilitating cross-disciplinary collaboration, and galvanizing industry involvement, Target ALS accelerates the most promising ideas in scientific research into drug development programs. In addition to funding and enabling research, Target ALS also conducts its own critical studies through the ALS Global Research Initiative (AGRI), a groundbreaking, worldwide collaboration aimed at reshaping the landscape of ALS research. Driven by impatient optimism, deliberate disruption, and radical collaboration, Target ALS aims to transform ALS from a fatal disease into a manageable disease, building a world where Everyone Lives.

For media inquiries, please contact:Stephanie IshooDirector, Marketing and Communications, Target ALS[email protected]

SOURCE Target ALS