Tisch MSRCNY Receives $1 Million Grant from National MS Society

For Immediate Release

TISCH MS RESEARCH CENTER OF NEW YORK AWARDED $1 MILLION NATIONAL MS SOCIETY GRANT FOR PHASE II STEM CELL RESEARCH

Momentum Continues in Landmark Study Targeting Repair and Regeneration

New York, NY – March 11, 2019 – Tisch MS Research Center of New York (Tisch MSRCNY) today announced that it has been awarded a $1 million research grant from the National MS Society to support Phase II of their FDA-Approved Stem Cell Clinical Trial for MS. Phase I of this trial was completed in 2017 with published results showing safety and tolerability, as well as encouraging efficacy trends.

“We are deeply appreciative for this support from the National MS Society as we initiate Phase II of this study to hopefully establish the effectiveness of our stem cell treatment. Together, we are on the forefront in forming the therapeutic basis of reversing disability in people with MS,” said Dr. Saud A. Sadiq, Director and Chief Research Scientist at Tisch MSRCNY.

The Phase II trial is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study testing the efficacy of multiple intrathecal injections of autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell neural progenitors (MSC-NP) in 50 patients with progressive MS. Additional funding needs to be secured to ensure completion of the 3-year study.

About Tisch MS Research Center of New York (Tisch MSRCNY)

The Tisch MS Research Center of New York is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to finding the cause of and cure for multiple sclerosis. By conducting groundbreaking medical investigations, Tisch MSRCNY accelerates the pace at which research discoveries translate from lab bench to bedside. The Center aims to discover the cause of MS, understand disease mechanism, optimize therapies, and repair the damage caused by MS while offering patient access to the best and most advanced treatment possible.

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Symptoms vary from person to person and range from numbness and tingling, to walking difficulties, fatigue, dizziness, pain, depression, blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are leading to better understanding and moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. A recent study led by the National MS Society estimates that nearly 1 million people are living with MS in the United States; twice as many than previously thought.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The Society mobilizes people and resources so that everyone affected by multiple sclerosis can live their best lives as we stop MS in its tracks, restore what has been lost and end MS forever. Last year, the Society invested $35 million in MS research with more than 340 active projects around the world. Through its comprehensive nationwide network of services, the Society is focused on helping people affected by MS connect to the people, information and resources needed to live their best lives. We are united in our collective power to do something about MS now and end this disease forever. Learn more at nationalMSsociety.org Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. Learn about your options by talking to your health care professional and contacting the National MS Society at nationalMSsociety.org or 1-800-344-4867.

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Media Inquiries: Pamela Levin, RN (646) 557-3891 plevin@tischms.org 

Download the PDF of this press release:

Tisch MSRCNY MS Society Grant Press Release.pdf