The MS society has launched an “ambitious” public appeal to raise £100 million to stop multiple sclerosis (MS), which includes a “hard-hitting” advertising campaign featuring real people living with the condition.
The organisation says that the drive, dubbed the Stop MS Appeal, needs to raise the funds over ten years to find treatments for everyone living with the progressive, immune-mediated disorder.
It will also enable new projects, fund critical infrastructure and deliver a first-of-its-kind MS clinical trials platform, which together could finally “address the major unmet need in MS treatment.”
With the backing of leading scientists, the MS Society believes that they can expect to see a range of treatments for everyone in late stage trials by as early as 2025.
Over 100,000 people live with MS in the UK, a disease that damages nerves in your body and makes it harder to do everyday things, like walk, talk, eat and think. Today there are over a dozen licensed treatments for people with relapsing forms of MS, and some emerging for early active progressive MS. But there are still lots of people without treatment, and those that do exist only work on one aspect of MS: the immune system.
Nick Moberly, chief executive of the MS Society, reminded that “research has got us to a critical point, and we can see a future where nobody needs to worry about MS getting worse. That means not living in fear you’ll be reliant on a wheelchair, or one day lose your independence.”
He continued to say, “We believe we can stop MS, and the worldwide research community is coming together to help us achieve our ambitious goal. But we need to act now, and we need help. This campaign is the first step in reaching a vital new audience, and we are so incredibly grateful to all the amazing people who have helped make it possible.”
