The present invention relates to uses of a peptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, analogues and derivatives thereof, for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The present invention further provides a method for assessing responsiveness to treatment with the peptide of the invention. In addition, the present invention relates to prognosis of ALS progression, using Akt and phosphorylated Akt as biomarkers.