Making Australia more attractive for clinical trials

Clinical trials are an important instrument to stringently test the safety and efficacy of a potential treatment before a company is allowed to sell it.

MSRA has established the MSRA Clinical Trials Network (MSRACTN) to attract international clinical trials by coordinating information amongst the key stakeholders: health professionals, trial sponsors and people with MS. The network will also provide significant help to turn Australian and New Zealand ideas into home-grown clinical trials.

Making Australia more attractive for clinical trials is important. The Network will increase the number of trials coming to Australia and will make it easier for more people with MS and their neurologists to take part in the trials. In particular, there is a great need to conduct clinical trials for progressive MS, and for these trials to be run in Australia and New Zealand. Although not all trials are successful, even the unsuccessful ones help us to understand the causes of MS better.

The MSRA Clinical Trials Network is set to be the first point of call for anyone interested in MS clinical trials in Australia and New Zealand.

Joining the Network is free and information is readily available on the MSRACTN website. The MSRACTN database currently includes a variety of different trials including the treatments for MS and related symptoms including incontinence and fatigue.