In 2006, Prize4Life partnered with InnoCentive to launch the $1 million ALS Biomarker Prize with the goal of accelerating the development of a biomarker — an inexpensive and easy-to-use tool that can accurately measure the progression of ALS in patients. An effective biomarker will make clinical trials of ALS drugs cheaper, quicker, and more efficient. By overcoming a fundamental obstacle in drug development for ALS, the discovery of a biomarker clears the way forward for pharmaceutical and biotech companies to develop treatments for ALS. The awarding of the $1 million ALS Biomarker Prize in 2011 to Dr. Seward Rutkove for his identification of a biomarker marks a significant step forward in ALS research.