Just opened up an envelope from Mike Lazarus and there 5 checks that put us over the top of our impossible fundraising goal of
$30,000 for this year’s MRF Walk…and more is coming in. So if you were this
year’s first $1 contributor (Donna Umin), the $30,000th (Paul Levis) or
one of the 200 generous people in between, you have my gratitude.
And while it’s
something to reach this monetary goal, what it’s being used for is what’s
really impressive. Advances are accelerating.
New pharmaceuticals have recently been approved by the FDA
that are in pill form (no more needles!), are better at slowing the
deterioration down and with fewer side effects.
Dr. Steve Miller at
Northwestern just published the results of a human clinical trial where by
modifying a patient’s own cells, they got the body to stop attacking the myelin
without compromising the rest of the immune system. With tolerance there is no
auto-immune disease.
In my conversation last
week with MRF Founder and President, Scott Johnson, he re-confirmed that his
milestone of having an FDA approved myelin REPAIR therapeutic on the market in
6 years is the focus and it’s achievable.
My naïve optimism about getting my butt out of this
wheelchair becomes a little less naïve every day.
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