From Our CEO: Upcoming MS Advances

From the Community

June 24, 2025

Dr. Tim Coetzee, CEO

Someone wearing a lab coat looks at a tablet. Icons represent global health.

next edition of the McDonald diagnostic criteria for MS: a key milestone in reaching our first goal of diagnosing MS even faster and more accurately than we already do.This edition of the criteria includes more options and tests to confirm an MS diagnosis. This matters because we know that the sooner you get a diagnosis, the sooner you start treatment and get on a path to better health." c-nmssatomrichtext_nmssatomrichtext-host="">

It is an exciting time for the multiple sclerosis movement. In the past 80 years since Sylvia Lawry put an ad in the New York Times, we have achieved more advances in MS than have been achieved for any other neurological condition.Thanks to the ongoing work of our international research network, we are on the cusp of a world where:

An MS diagnosis can be made in hours rather than months or years.
Everyone with MS has access to an affordable treatment plan, tailored just for them — no matter what type of MS they have.
People with MS can count on experienced guides to assist in anticipating and navigating the challenges of MS.
An MS diagnosis is nothing to fear — because there’s a cure.

We will soon see the rollout of the next edition of the McDonald diagnostic criteria for MS: a key milestone in reaching our first goal of diagnosing MS even faster and more accurately than we already do.This edition of the criteria includes more options and tests to confirm an MS diagnosis. This matters because we know that the sooner you get a diagnosis, the sooner you start treatment and get on a path to better health.

An MS diagnosis can be made in hours rather than months or years.
Everyone with MS has access to an affordable treatment plan, tailored just for them — no matter what type of MS they have.
People with MS can count on experienced guides to assist in anticipating and navigating the challenges of MS.
An MS diagnosis is nothing to fear — because there’s a cure.

Fast Forward has invested more than $26 million in 56 proposals from small companies or academics to accelerate development of MS therapies or diagnostic tools in the earliest stages.As we work toward tomorrow’s advancements, we are also committed to empowering people affected by MS to live their best lives today. Programs like the MS Navigator program provide crucial support to people affected by MS. Through the Navigator program, every person living with MS has access to a compassionate professional trained in the unique challenges that often come with MS. This summer, thanks to a new scheduling system, people affected by MS can book dedicated time with the Navigator of their choice and develop an ongoing relationship with that Navigator.These advances are all thanks to the dedication and support of the countless people — donors, fundraisers, advocates, volunteers, readers like you — who make up the MS movement. Whatever the challenges ahead, we will face them together, and we will not stop until we have cured this disease for every single person living with MS.Thank you for reading,Dr. Tim Coetzee" c-nmssatomrichtext_nmssatomrichtext-host="">

We also continue to foster the discovery of more tailored MS treatments through initiatives like the Fast Forward program, which was launched with philanthropic contributions and is sustained by the Society. Over the last 16 years, Fast Forward has invested more than $26 million in 56 proposals from small companies or academics to accelerate development of MS therapies or diagnostic tools in the earliest stages.As we work toward tomorrow’s advancements, we are also committed to empowering people affected by MS to live their best lives today. Programs like the MS Navigator program provide crucial support to people affected by MS. Through the Navigator program, every person living with MS has access to a compassionate professional trained in the unique challenges that often come with MS. This summer, thanks to a new scheduling system, people affected by MS can book dedicated time with the Navigator of their choice and develop an ongoing relationship with that Navigator.These advances are all thanks to the dedication and support of the countless people — donors, fundraisers, advocates, volunteers, readers like you — who make up the MS movement. Whatever the challenges ahead, we will face them together, and we will not stop until we have cured this disease for every single person living with MS.Thank you for reading,Dr. Tim Coetzee

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