Press Release: "Multiple Sclerosis Association of America and Antidote Technologies Team Up to Increase Awareness of Clinical Trials"
Cherry Hill, NJ and New York, NY (January 12, 2016) – The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA), a national nonprofit organization and leading resource for the MS community, and Antidote Technologies, a digital health company, today announced a partnership to increase awareness of MS clinical trials and enable people to easily access this important information. The Antidote Match clinical trial search tool will now be available on MSAA’s website, allowing visitors to find trials that are right for them or their loved ones in minutes, just by answering a few questions.
Today, MS affects more than 400,000 Americans and countless care partners. While there is currently no cure for MS, there is hope. Researchers are testing potential new treatments every day in clinical trials. These potential treatments are being studied in more than 100 trials in the United States, but there’s a problem: these studies need more than 115,000 people to take part. And the fact is, 80% of trials are delayed or closed due to difficulty in finding patients to participate. This means that research is taking far longer than it should, while patients and care partners continue to wait for answers.
MSAA is dedicated to improving the lives of those impacted by MS, and as part of that mission, provides comprehensive resources to people with MS and care partners on their website. These resources now include Antidote Match, a search tool that uses technology that involves natural language processing and artificial intelligence to make it easier than ever before for people to find their best clinical trial matches. The goal of this partnership is to increase awareness of clinical trials, thereby increasing patient participation and speeding up MS research.
“At MSAA, we recognize the importance of having resources and information available to help the MS community. We also recognize the urgency involved in matching interested individuals with appropriate clinical trials to expedite MS research,” said MSAA President and CEO Gina Ross Murdoch. “We are proud to provide vital support services to individuals with MS, and we are thrilled to add the Antidote Match search tool to our offerings.”
As part of its mission to accelerate the breakthroughs of tomorrow, Antidote provides its Match tool at no cost to organizations like MSAA that are making a difference in the lives of patients. “Speeding up research in MS will have a huge impact on the lives of patients and care partners,” said Pablo Graiver, CEO and founder of Antidote. “We look forward to the day when a cure has been discovered, and until then, we’re honored to work with MSAA to increase awareness of and access to MS clinical trials.”
To find a trial match on the MSAA website, please visit: http://mymsaa.org/ms-information/clinical-trials-search/.
About MSAA
The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) is a national nonprofit organization and leading resource for the entire MS community, improving lives today through vital services and support. MSAA provides free programs and services, such as: a Helpline with trained specialists; award-winning publications, including MSAA’s magazine, The Motivator; MSAA’s nationally recognized website (at mymsaa.org), featuring award-winning educational videos and research updates; S.E.A.R.C.H.™ program to assist the MS community with learning about different treatment choices; a mobile phone app, My MS Manager™ (named one of the best multiple sclerosis iPhone & Android apps by Healthline.com); a resource database, My MS Resource Locator®; safety and mobility equipment distribution; cooling accessories for heat-sensitive individuals; educational programs held across the country; MRI funding; My MSAA Community, a peer-to-peer online support forum; and more. For additional information, please visit www.mymsaa.org or call (800) 532-7667.
About Antidote
Antidote is a digital health company on a mission. Their aim is to accelerate the breakthroughs of new treatments by bridging the gap between medical research and the people who need them. In a world where 80% of clinical trials are delayed or closed due to lack of awareness, Antidote uses cutting-edge technology to match the right patients with the right trials, helping medical researchers make faster progress, and offering new treatment options to patients in need. Antidote was launched as TrialReach in 2010, and is based in the US and UK.
This is a global effort to advance healthcare for everyone. To find out how you can help shape medical history, visit http://www.antidote.me.
Media Contacts
Kaitlyn Gallagher
Public Relations & Marketing Coordinator, MSAA
(800) 532-7667, ext. 122
kgallagher@mymsaa.org
Andrea L. Griffin
Vice President of Communications & Marketing, MSAA
(800) 532-7667, ext. 123
agriffin@mymsaa.org
Sarah Kerruish (UK)
Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, Antidote
+44 7546364484
sarah@antidote.me
Lisa Brockway (US)
Director of Communications, Antidote
(215) 872-2917
lisa@antidote.me