MS nonprofit raises US$12m on first day of US$1b campaign

The National MS Society raised more than US$12m on the first day of a five-year US$1bn campaign to accelerate MS research and expand access to care.

The US-based nonprofit launched its Campaign to End MS on 1 October, with nearly 500 guests attending a New York City gala.

The organisation said the campaign will support research and efforts to help people receive earlier diagnoses, access appropriate treatment and find support for themselves and their families.

“As someone living with MS, I’ve spent years hoping a cure would be possible someday,” said Lauren Hall, the society’s chief development officer.

“Tonight, nearly 500 people decided that someday starts now, for me and for everyone living with MS.

“Every gift in that room was an investment in science and in a future where no one hears the words ‘you have MS.’ We will look back on this evening as the beginning of the end of MS.”

Multiple sclerosis (MS) occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy parts of the brain and spinal cord, disrupting nerve signals. Symptoms can include fatigue, movement problems, vision difficulties and cognitive problems.

Around 1m people in the US are living with MS, according to the National MS Society. There is currently no cure.

The organisation has invested more than US$100m in active research across more than 200 projects worldwide.

At the campaign launch, it announced nearly US$8.9m in new funding for 15 research projects.

The campaign will support work in three areas identified in the society’s Pathways to Cures Roadmap: stopping MS progression, restoring lost function and preventing the disease.

The launch also included the society’s first national research symposium, bringing together researchers, clinicians and industry partners to discuss approaches to stopping progression, restoring function and preventing MS.

Singer David Osmond and his family were honoured at the gala for their longstanding support of the MS community.

Osmond was diagnosed with MS 20 years after his father received the same diagnosis.

He said: “When I was very young, my dad was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and taught me how to live with it long before I knew I’d receive the same diagnosis 20 years later.

It created a bond between us that neither of us ever asked for, but that became such a significant part of our lives.”

Osmond said his father, who died in April, had taught him to keep moving forward and believe in what was possible.

The five-year campaign will fund research while supporting efforts to improve diagnosis, treatment and support for people with MS and their families.