Quarterly Update

The National MS Society’s Pathways to Cures Research Roadmap was published in the prestigious Multiple Sclerosis Journal, establishing the very first global MS research agenda. As the biggest, boldest and most collaborative MS research effort of our time, MS organizations and scientific leaders across the globe have endorsed the roadmap, agreeing that this is the way forward to stop MS, restore lost function and end MS forever.

The Pathways to Cures publication marks a huge milestone in the Society’s focus on finding cures to the disease and is a direct result of the unwavering commitment and generosity of Society supporters like you.

“Curing MS is within our reach,” said Bruce Bebo, PhD, Executive Vice President of Research at the Society and lead author on the paper. “When we talk about curing MS, we’re talking about curing MS for everyone. The roadmap will drive progress by increasing alignment and focus of global resources on high priority research questions.”

Just as the experience of living with MS is different for every person, every person’s cure for MS may be different. Whether that means being able to walk without assistance, riding a bike again, seeing an MRI with no new lesions or knowing your child will never hear the words, “you have MS,” Pathways to Cures will sharpen the global focus, collaboration and shared investment needed to find cures faster.

As Faith shares, a cure would mean no longer having to rely on mobility aids and regaining a sense of freedom and independence. The global MS community will join forces through the RESTORE pathway to uncover remyelination options and enhance efforts to uncover rehabilitation, lifestyle and wellness strategies so people like Faith recover function and get back what they lost due to this disease.

Finally, significant investments will be made through the END pathway to broaden MS prevention strategies including uncovering risk factors and at-risk prevention options. This will lead us to the day no one is ever diagnosed with MS again and achieve Tim’s dream, “If my grandkids never have to go through this, that would be a godsend. People would be saying ‘hey, remember MS?’”

When Sylvia Lawry founded the National MS Society in 1946, searching for answers for her brother Bernard, she was not concerned with where the answers appeared, but only that they came. To this day, thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, the National MS Society has remained steadfast in our commitment to bring the brightest minds together — from around the world — to collaborate and to accelerate progress.

With your support, we’ve forged novel collaborations like the International Progressive MS Alliance, bringing scientists, thought leadership and financial resources together, to drive innovation and speed progress. The results of collaborations like this have been outstanding and this global approach to “teamwork” has brought MS cures within reach. Now, as a global MS movement, we’re ready to make the next chapter of our MS journey the last.

Through Pathways to Cures, together we will align the world’s talent and resources to the areas of greatest opportunity. We will facilitate the collaboration necessary to answer the most pressing research questions we face, finally unlocking the answers Ms. Lawry sought over 75 years ago.

It’s a thrilling moment in our history and I’m so glad I get to embark on this last chapter with you. To reach a world free of MS it will take all of us — our time, our energy, our resources. I’m grateful to have you by our side in this last chapter as we close the book on MS forever.

Yours truly,
Cyndi

Boldly leading a global effort to find cures for MS is no small undertaking but thanks to the transformational support of a special group of philanthropic leaders, we’re off to a powerful start. With collective gifts totaling $12 million, the Pathways to Cures Lead Investors featured below are putting their mark on an MS cure by helping establish the early momentum needed to rally the world.

We have been actively involved with the National MS Society for 28 years and have never been as optimistic about the potential for real progress toward our goal of finding cures for MS. With the advances in science and technology along with the commitment of some of the most noted researchers in the world NOW is the time to go big so that we can do our part to end MS forever.”

To reach our ambitious goal to cure MS for every single person, we need you too. It will take all of us — working, giving and raising our voices together to reach our destination. To learn more, visit pathwaystocures.org.