The Turnbull Government will support Australians getting access to life-saving clinical trials and help find a cure for Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
As part of the Big Freeze 4 fundraising event at the MCG, the Coalition Government will match donations, dollar-for-dollar, up to $2 million to invest in new clinical trials for Australians suffering from MND.
I urge Australians to dig deep and help fund critical research for MND through clinical trials.
MND is a condition where the nerve cells controlling the muscles that allow people to move, speak, swallow and breathe fail to work normally.
The nerve cells eventually die and leave the muscles to gradually weaken and waste.
Clinical trials for patients provide a better understanding of MND so that researchers can develop ways to slow or prevent the progression of the disease and, ultimately, find a cure.
The incidence of MND has doubled over the past two decades. MND now affects more than 2,000 people in Australia, with the average survival rate of just over two years.
In Australia, two people are diagnosed with MND and two people die because of MND every day.
The funds raised will support FightMND to continue critical research and expand clinical trial efforts to test the effectiveness and safety of drugs, like Tecfidera, as an option for those suffering with MND.
The Tecfidera trial, which began in April this year and will run until January 2019, involves 150 patients from across six sites making it the biggest MND trial ever conducted in Australia.
Our funds for Big Freeze 4 builds on $2 million supplied to the campaign in 2017. In addition research grants awarded by the National Health and Medical Research Council for MND totalled $21.7 million since 2015, including a further $4.6 million alone in 2017.
For more information or to donate, please visit: www.fightmnd.org.au