President’s Letter:

Dear Friends and Supporters of MRF,

In our drive for effective MS treatments to repair myelin, MRF continues to make strong progress on our development of a myelin repair biomarker:

• Over the past year, we have funded important new research projects at Yale, Columbia, McGill, Cornell, and the University of Barcelona. Plus, we will be announcing additional research that will be getting underway in the coming months.
• By funding all these different research projects, we’re able to test and develop multiple biomarker assays with very positive results: the research data is showing that our assays are highly accurate.
• We are attracting the interest of key pharmaceuticals with our results and are currently in talks with more than a dozen companies as we work to ensure the success and wide commercial adoption of our myelin repair biomarker.

I’m very excited and confident about MRF’s biomarker progress!

I often get asked why MRF is so focused on developing a myelin repair biomarker. The simple answer: MRF took on this difficult and daunting task because it would not have gotten done otherwise. Developing a new biomarker is expensive, takes many years, and is inherently risky. And successful development and commercialization requires collaboration between academic research and pharma, which is rare due in part due to IP-related issues.

So in 2017, when commercial pharma shared with us the need for a myelin repair biomarker and noted that no effort to develop one was even being contemplated, MRF answered the call!

We knew MRF was uniquely suited to developing a myelin repair biomarker due to our strengths and expertise:

• As a neutral non-profit, we can bridge the gap between academic research and commercial pharma.
• We have a proven 22-year track record of using scientific collaboration to mitigate risk and accelerate results based on clear measurable stretch goals and attentive management.
• We have the expertise to identify and engage the top scientists in biomarker research, and the funding necessary to support their efforts. Currently we have funded a total of 41 biomarker-related studies.
• We have the credibility and contacts with pharma to move biomarker assays from academic labs to commercial testing and usage.

As an MS patient driven and supported organization, nothing will deter our focus on achieving a myelin repair biomarker.

The entire MRF team is pleased and motivated by the progress we have made and the implications for accelerating myelin repair treatments to MS patients who can’t afford to wait. Your support is needed for us to complete this critical endeavor! Please donate today.

Sincerely,

A Brief Recap of MRF: Our Activities and Accomplishments

Phase 1: Launched myelin repair research (2002 to 2016)

As a non-profit medical research foundation, MRF has always:

• Taken on research challenges that others can’t or won’t
• Coordinated all necessary scientific members in the value chain, combining the strengths and unique skills of each participant to create results-driven outcomes
• Performed crucial functions that efficiently utilized funds donated to MRF and leveraged those dollars for dramatic results.

MRF jump-started basic myelin repair research in academia and demonstrated the possibility of repairing the brain with a therapeutic drug. This has led to increased funding of basic myelin related science by others. In addition, we created the Translation Medicine Center to bridge the gap between academic research results and drug development by pharmaceutical companies. And by funding a myelin repair clinical trial in collaboration with the NIH, we led the way in moving myelin repair compounds toward positive patient outcomes.

MRF’s activities and results reduced the risk associated with myelin repair drug development which paved the way for pharmaceutical companies to begin investing in myelin repair drug research programs. Our pioneering and innovative science investment is why more than 20 companies have myelin repair compounds in various stages of drug development at this time.
 

Phase 2: Complete our mission by identifying a myelin repair biomarker (2017 to 2026)

The complexity and difficulty of drug development means that industry wide, for compounds that enter preclinical research, only about 1 out of 250 makes it through to FDA approval. The many steps required take over a decade and are very costly. The multiple phases of clinical trials alone can take up to 7 years for an MS treatment.

Based on this, it’s paramount that:

1. more compounds enter the pipeline, and
2. the compounds are swiftly evaluated in order to expedite availability to MS patients.

Identifying a myelin repair biomarker that clearly indicates whether a compound facilitates myelin repair will make these two objectives a reality.

However, biomarker development is complicated and requires intensive coordination of academics, pharma, biobanks, the NIH, and others — that don’t typically collaborate.

That’s why MRF made it our mission in 2017 to develop a myelin repair biomarker that can speed “Go / No Go” decisions and get myelin repair treatments to patients faster. We knew we had the unique ability and track record required to manage the process. Today, we are executing our comprehensive research roadmap by funding experiments in 11 labs around the world. The biomarker we identify will support all the current myelin repair drug development efforts, PLUS aid in the identification of additional compounds with myelin repair potential.

We are very pleased with the progress we have made and remain confident that we will complete this final MRF objective by the end of 2026.

Your support is needed for us to complete this critical endeavor! Please donate today.