In the United States, we have several non-profit MS-related organizations involved with conducting research, supporting research, or raising funds for research.  Of course, we are not the only ones worldwide conducting research into the treatment and possible cure of MS, but since HealthCentral is based in the U.S., I thought we’d start here at home.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Without a doubt, the National MS Society (NMSS) has the largest budget when it comes to funding MS research among non-government not-for-profit organizations, devoting nearly $50 million each year to a spectrum of key initiatives and projects.  In a previous post, Sylvia Lawry: The National MS Society and the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation, I introduced one of our significant MS heroes and this very important organization which started out in 1946 as simply a research group but which has grown into much more.

In 2007, the National MS Society established Fast Forward, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Society with an innovative business approach, to speed the development of treatments and seek a cure for people living with MS by:

    * Accelerating commercial development of innovative MS research
    * Funding MS drug discovery in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies
    * Ensuring a global perspective in identifying funding opportunities

“Fast Forward aims to close the gap [created by difficulty companies may have in securing funds to movement scientific ideas from basic research into preclinical development]. We will partner with investors and donors who see the value of innovative drug discovery. We will seek out promising companies and scientists with fresh ideas. We will grant seed money to projects with potential. And we will speed the movement of those projects toward FDA approval … providing more MS treatments to more people, faster.”

A large volume of information is available regarding the research NMSS supports and funds - past, present, and future - on their website.  Too much information to detail here.  I recommend that you spend some time reading the following webpages including the pages to which they are linked:

    * Research News
    * Research We Fund
    * Intriguing Leads On the Horizon
    * Researchers Need You
    * How Far We’ve Come

Myelin Repair Foundation

The Myelin Repair Foundation (MRF) was created in 2004 to address the systemic problems in medical research and commercial drug development that work against the rapid delivery of patient treatments. The MRF’s Accelerated Research Collaboration™ (ARC™) model is a radical new process that recognizes the incentives and limitations of academic scientists, commercial biopharma, government regulators, and patients and their families, and fosters behavioral changes by adding tangible value to everyone.