FightMND is the largest independent funder of MND research, new drug development, and clinical trials in Australia. Since forming in 2014, FightMND has committed over $48.4 million into funding the best and brightest researchers in Australia and abroad in the pursuit of new treatments and ultimately a cure to this devastating disease. Our investments to date include; • 11 Australian Clinical Trials giving MND patients across Australian access to try potential new treatments • 17 Drug Development projects aimed at developing new treatments for MND • FightMND High-throughput Drug Screening Program to help fast-track research discoveries through to clinical trial • Precision Medicine Program to improve the targeting of treatments for patients • Support for the Sporadic ALS Australian Systems Genomics Consortium (SALSA-SGC) at 8 sites across Australia • 22 research grant-in-aids distributed to researchers across the country • 3 FightMND Career Fellowships to support future leaders of MND research in Australia • Angie Cunningham PhD Scholarship and Research Grant Our other research initiatives include: • financial support for the Australian MND Registry (AMNDR) • on-going financial support for the Victorian Brain Bank • FightMND Research Symposium In addition to our research investments, FightMND is committed to ensuring that Australian’s diagnosed with the disease are enabled to live as independently as possible for as long as possible. To support this vision, over the last 4 years we have been the single largest funder of vital new assistive equipment for people living with the disease across the country. We have committed over $4.6 million for new equipment, directly improving the quality of life for Australian MND patients. In 2020, FightMND committed $10.68M into MND research projects across Australia. Potential projects were reviewed and assessed by both national and international MND experts and an expert panel of MND clinicians and researchers to identify and support projects with the most promising potential to fast track a more effective therapy or cure. In 2020 the successful research projects include: • 1 Clinical Trial; • 7 Drug Development Projects, and • 8 IMPACT Projects