This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Expectations for the future

In the MRF strategic plan we expected to file our first patent application in mid-2007 and to have validated our first therapeutic target by 2009. Our hope was that the discoveries and inventions of the MRF research team would be of interest to biotech and pharmaceutical companies and that we could initiate licensing discussions by early 2009.

Based on the rapid progress of the team we now believe that MRF will have assays and animal models that will be of licensing interest to any company working on neurodegenerative disease by July 2007. As a result we began exploratory discussions with Biogen, Serono, Novartis, Wyeth, Sanofi Aventis, Genentech and Eli Lilly this past spring. These meetings provided an overview of the current assays and models used by the MRF research team as well as a preview of those we are currently developing. The goal of these meetings was to determine which validation assays are considered most important in evaluating targets and drug candidates for development. We expect to continue these discussions over the next year and expand the number of companies we are evaluating as potential development partners for new therapies.

This brief snapshot of the MRF and its results cannot do justice to the talent, dedication and professionalism of the MRF’s research team, management team and growing team of volunteers, and especially to our donors, all of who made critical contributions directly to these results. It is hard to believe that we have learned so much in such a short period of time. I hope that in reading this information you share our enthusiasm and expectation that we can make effective myelin repair treatments a reality in just a few years.

But, remember they are negotiating with Scott Johnson - I am glad he is on our side.