Keros Therapeutics (KROS) said Monday that it has agreed to a deal with Massachusetts General Hospital for the design of a phase 2 clinical trial evaluating rinvatercept in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The collaboration is part of an initiative to speed up development of new therapies for the illness using genetic and biofluid markers, the company said.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to muscle weakness and loss of physical control.