My name is Peter Wallach, and I stand as the Chief Financial Officer and Co-Founder of Synapticure. My journey into this field is deeply personal. When my brother Brian received his ALS diagnosis, it became a turning point for my family. Driven by this tragedy, we established Synapticure with a clear purpose: to champion Brian and countless others facing this devastating illness.
Tragedy has a way of galvanizing action, especially within a family. Brian’s ALS diagnosis was not the first hardship our family has faced, nor will it likely be the last. The early loss of our father left a significant void when we were young; Brian was 21, Tom was 17, and I was just 14. While such adversity can be crippling, it can also forge resilience and determination.
Peter Wallach with his brothers Tommy and Brian in a photo taken shortly after their father passed away. Brian Wallach, despite personal loss, provided strength and support to his family.
This photograph captures Tommy, Brian, and myself a few months after our father’s passing. Despite the shadow of grief, Brian’s spirit shone brightly, illuminating our family’s path. He stepped into a fatherly role for me during my formative years, guiding me through crucial decisions from college choices to marriage. My co-founding of Synapticure with him was, in many ways, my way of reciprocating that support. It was my turn to rise to the occasion and contribute to finding a cure, starting by building a comprehensive care system designed to benefit every ALS patient. This system, in turn, is structured to gather vital information from treatments, enabling us to better understand ALS subtypes, enhance patient outcomes, and accelerate research.
Synapticure is designed to extend its reach to tens of thousands of patients currently battling ALS, and with an eye toward the future, to encompass those with related neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). Every patient who comes to Synapticure gains access to cutting-edge diagnostics, including genetic testing, to gain a deeper understanding of their specific ALS profile. Furthermore, we provide tools to meticulously monitor the progression of their condition and the effectiveness of their treatments on a daily basis. We believe that implementing this approach on a large scale is the most effective way to accumulate the data necessary to make a tangible difference in the lives of ALS patients today.
Over the past five years, I have had the profound experience of connecting with countless patients who, alongside their families and dedicated care teams, have had to fight tirelessly for even the most basic aspects of ALS care. It simply should not be this arduous.
My commitment is to honor these patients and to strive to create a future where authentic hope is not a luxury but a given for the next generation facing ALS.
We are united in this endeavor.
Peter
