New scholarship program opens doors for youth · Talent, along with Alexisonfire and Moneen,...
Transcript of New scholarship program opens doors for youth · Talent, along with Alexisonfire and Moneen,...
Volume 34 Number 1 Spring 2007
We are very proud to announce an
important new initiative to support
Canadian youth directly affected by
multiple sclerosis. The MS Society
of Canada Scholarship Program
will offer scholarships to assist with
post-secondary education for
teenagers and young adults who
have MS or have a parent who lives
with the disease. The program was
launched in early February and is
now accepting applications for
funding toward 2007/2008 full- or
part-time education.
Early last year, Aaron Solowoniuk
of Juno Award-winning Canadian
punk rock band Billy Talent, publicly
announced that he has lived with MS
for close to a decade. He has been
working with the MS Society on
ways to raise funds and awareness
among teenagers and young adults.
The result is the MS Society of
Canada Scholarship Program, sup-
ported by Billy Talent and Friends.
Aaron Solowoniuk and Billy Talent
have been involved in
a number of fundrais-
ing initiatives in sup-
port of the MS Society
of Canada Scholarship
Program. Warner Music Canada has
donated $50,000, based on first-week
sales of Billy Talent II. And Billy
Talent, along with Alexisonfire and
Moneen, recently performed a bene-
fit concert in Toronto in support of
the project. Tickets for the show,
Tysabri now
availablesee page 9
continued on next page
We are pleased to wel-
come Yves Savoie as
president and chief
executive of the
Multiple Sclerosis
Society of Canada and
director (ex officio) of
the MS Scientific
Research Foundation.
“Speaking on behalf of
the national board of directors,”
says Lou Maroun, chair of our
national board of directors, “We are
very pleased to welcome Yves as
our new chief executive. We are
confident that his exceptional lead-
ership skills and insights will
strengthen our organization in every
way, and benefit everyone we serve
and support.” Before joining us on
February 7, Yves was executive
director of the Family
Service Association of
Toronto, serving vul-
nerable families and
individuals facing a
variety of challenges.
And from 1998 to
2003, he was national
executive director of
Muscular Dystrophy
Canada and a passionate advocate
for the inclusion of people with dis-
abilities. Yves also teaches non-
profit management in the MBA pro-
gram at York University and is vice-
chair of the board of Imagine
Canada. Yves takes over from the
retiring Alistair Fraser, who led the
Society for 25 years in its goal to
provide strong and effective support
to people living with MS.
Highlights InsideWALK momentum grows 2
Award-winning actions 3
Advocacy issues 4
Fiscal financials 11
Chief executive begins new era
New scholarship program opensdoors for youth
MS Canada, Spring 2007, p. 2
which sold out in eight minutes, net-
ted an additional $20,000 for the
scholarship program.
The MS Society of Canada
Scholarship Program will grant
awards of $500, $750 or $1000 to
each successful candidate. Awards
to part-time students will be pro-
rated based on credit hours. The
number of awards available each
year will depend on funding and the
quality of the applications. In 2007,
we expect to award scholarships
totaling $80,000.
All applicants must meet basic
eligibility criteria, fully complete
the application, and submit by
April 15. Scholarship Management
Services, a non-profit educational
support and student aid service
organization, will select scholar-
ship finalists on the basis of
demonstrated financial need, aca-
demic record,
leadership and
participation in
school or com-
munity activities,
work experience,
statement of edu-
cational and
career goals, an
outside apprais-
al, unusual per-
sonal or family
circumstances, and an essay on the
impact of MS on their life.
The National Client Services
department of the MS Society of
Canada will convene a panel of
reviewers (both volunteers and
staff) to make the final scholarship
decisions.
Applications are available to
download from our website at:
www.mssociety.ca until the closing
Accepting a great gift for
Canadian youth from Aaron
Solowoniuk (centre) of punk rock
band Billy Talent are (left to
right) Jon Temme, vice-president
client services, Caroline Horcher,
supervisor fundraising events
and events media, Helga
Schnider, assistant vice-president
Ontario fundraising, and former
chief executive Alistair Fraser.
It’s time to get clos-
er to a cure! The
Super Cities WALK
for MS is held
every year to raise
money for MS
research and servic-
es. This year, it will
bring people
together in 160
communities across
Canada in the
spring and early fall. Last year,
69,000 Canadians WALKed or
wheeled to raise over $12 million
with the support of their friends
and family, and hun-
dreds of MS Society
volunteers.
Register now for
the 2007 Super
Cities WALK for MS
in your community.
This is a fun, family-
friendly event for
people of all ages.
WALK sites have
routes with varying
distances and wheel-chair accessi-
ble paths. For more information,
visit www.supercitieswalk.com or
call 1-800-268-7582.
The Super Cities WALK for MS:Taking a step closer to a cure
continued from cover
Volume 34, No 1, Spring 2007
Published by the
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada
175 Bloor St. E., Suite 700
Toronto ON M4W 3R8
Tel: (416) 922-6065
Fax: (416) 922-7538
Toll free: 1-866-922-6065
Website: www.mssociety.ca
Charitable Registration
no. 10774 6174 RR0001
Our Mission: To be a leader in finding
a cure for multiple sclerosis and
enabling people affected by MS to
enhance their quality of life.
President & Chief Executive:
Yves Savoie
Editor: Marianne Chilco
Translator: Charlotte deCelles
ISSN 0315-1131 – Issued quarterly
Canadian Publications Mail Product
Sales Agreement No. 40063383
MS Canada, Spring 2007, p. 3
National President’s Award –
Scott Gillis (photo 1)
Diagnosed with MS 13 years ago,
Scott Gillis is a lawyer and partner
with the law firm Waterbury
Newton in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.
Since 1998, Scott has been
involved in fundraising, social
action and client services, has
served as legal counsel and is a
director on the Atlantic Division
board. As past chair of the Social
Action Committee, Scott success-
fully lobbied for provincial drug
coverage for MS drug therapies and
has become the voice of people liv-
ing with MS in Atlantic Canada.
National Opal Award – Robin
Rankine (2)
The Opal Award acknowledges
the dedication and devotion dis-
played by Jack Opal and his
daughter Minda in supporting and
caring for Evelyn Opal, a found-
ing member of the MS Society of
Canada, in her personal struggle
with MS. This year’s recipient of
the national award is Robin
Rankine of B.C., in recognition of
her outstanding commitment and
care of her husband Ian and broth-
er Simon Porteous. Robin is a
strong advocate for services, pro-
grams and resources, and has been
a steering committee member for
White Rock’s WALK for MS and
a keen fundraiser.
National Award of Merit,
Member - Dr. A. Dessa
Sadovnick (3)
Dr. A. Dessa Sadovnick, principal
investigator in the Canadian Coll-
aborative Project on Genetic
Susceptibility to MS, was award-
ed the National Award of Merit
for her outstanding contribution
in furthering our work on a
national basis. Dr. Sadovnick’s
mother and aunt were among
those who worked with Evelyn
Opal in the 1940s to form the
Montreal MS group that evolved
into the MS Society of Canada.
“When I became interested in
genetics,” says Dr. Sadovnick, “It
was Evelyn Opal who said to me
‘writers are always told to write
about what they know, so why
don’t you study what you know –
multiple sclerosis’. I took that
advice and began my work on the
genetics of MS.”
National Award of Merit, Non-
Member – CanWest Global (4)
Global’s national news anchor,
Kevin Newman (left) accepts this
year’s National Award of Merit from
media relations manager Stewart
Wong. In 15 years, Global’s support
has grown from regional partner-
ships in the early 90s to national
sponsor of the Super Cities WALK
in 2006. Kevin Newman has been a
strong advocate for the MS cause
and the MS Society of Canada is
proud to have him as key supporter.
John Alexander Media Award
The Toronto Sun’s Jason Paul (left)
received the print media award for ANoble Cause, a poignant story of an
Ontario woman with MS who over-
comes some of her mobility chal-
lenges with the help of her dog,
Noble. CTV’s medical/health corre-
spondent Avis Favaro and W-Five
producer Brett Mitchell accepted the
broadcast journalism award for ThePioneers, a W-Five segment docu-
menting the journey of Dyan Dixon
who underwent a ground-breaking
but risky procedure involving bone
marrow transplant in the hopes of
arresting progress of MS.
Congratulations and thank you to our 2006 award recipients
2 3 4 51
MS Canada, Spring 2007, p. 4
Closing in on income
support gap
One of the MS Society’s priority
disability income issues was fea-
tured on the front page of TheGlobe and Mail in late December.
The article broke the news that
the federal government is possi-
bly looking at ways to close an
income support gap faced by
many people with moderate or
episodic disabilities and illness.
The article also featured MS
Society member Cheryl Elliott of
Ottawa, who described her dilem-
ma of not being disabled enough to
qualify for Canada Pension Plan
disability benefits once her 15
weeks of Employment Insurance
(EI) was finished.
This is a situation experienced
by many people with MS, whose
symptoms come and go, as well as
others with arthritis, lupus, AIDS
and some types of cancer. The MS
Society is recommending to gov-
ernment that both EI and CPP dis-
ability benefits be more flexible
so people can work part-time and
receive benefits part-time.
The Globe and Mail said the
study by University of Victoria
professor Michael Prince suggests
extending EI benefits, introducing
a CPP program to cover partial
disabilities or creating a new pro-
gram for people with episodic dis-
abilities.
The MS Society will continue to
work on moving this important
issue forward.
MS Society calls for MS drug
coverage in 2007
Across the country, provincial fund-
ing of the disease modifying thera-
pies (DMTs) are based on two sets
of criteria: medical and financial. In
Newfoundland and Labrador, the
medical eligibility criteria may be
consistent with most other
provinces but the financial eligibil-
ity criteria are not.
While the provincial government
covers drug costs for people on
social assistance, low-income sen-
iors and those in long-term care, the
MS Society in Atlantic Canada esti-
mates that over 600 people with
MS in the province do not have
access to needed therapies because
they do not meet the government’s
eligibility criteria. Many others
with MS have been forced to quit
their jobs and go on social assis-
tance to qualify for drug coverage.
“You essentially have to be living
in poverty in order to get any kind
of assistance,” says Sean Kirby,
chair of the Atlantic Division gov-
ernment relations committee and
vice chair of the board. “So we’re
seeing moms and dads getting
divorced and young couples hold-
ing off on having children or saving
for retirement just so they can get
the drugs they need to manage their
disease and slow its progression.
It’s disgraceful.”
The Atlantic Division has devel-
oped an intense government and
public relations strategy that is
generating significant media cov-
erage. “We’re mobilizing our
grassroots volunteers to write let-
ters to the Premier, book meetings
with their Members of the House
of Assembly, call into talk radio
shows and write letters to the edi-
tor,” says Kirby. “The response
from provincial and local media
has been tremendous.”
And, by working closely with the
opposition parties and involving
community leaders and health care
professionals, the MS Society
intends to keep up the momentum
and pressure on the government
Government Relations
Information for people with disabil-
ities on the Canada Revenue
Agency (CRA) website (www.cra-
arc.gc.ca) has been expanded. As
well, a new publication by Service
Canada called Services for Peoplewith Disabilities provides an
overview of Government of Canada
services and programs for people
with disabilities. It is available at
www.pwd-online.ca or by calling 1-
800-622-6232. And an article on tax
tips for people with MS, their care-
givers and families is on the MS
Society website at www.mssoci-
ety.ca [keyword: tax tips].
The right tax information cansave you money
Are two (or more)
drugs better than
one? This is the
concept at the core
of researchers’ cur-
rent interest in
exploring combina-
tion therapy as a
new strategy for
treating and man-
aging relapsing-
remitting MS. The
approach, which
has had success in epilepsy and some can-
cers, is now being investigated in connection
with MS.
“Many lymphomas and leukemias can
now be cured but there’s never been a
magic bullet for these disorders,” says Dr.
Jock Murray, professor of neurology at
Dalhousie University in Halifax and one of
the founding fathers of MS clinics in
Canada. “Instead, it has been a long
process of developing combinations of dif-
ferent therapies.”
The question of whether multiple treat-
ments working together will prove more
beneficial than one treatment working alone
is particularly crucial in MS since current
treatments are only partially effective.
Current MS therapies are designed to
reduce inflammation in the hope that this
will reduce the amount of degeneration
and ultimately affect progression of the
disease.
The medications work by different
mechanisms:
• The interferons – Avonex, Betaseron
and Rebif – by reducing the T-cells’ abil-
ity to enter the central nervous system;
also, inducing anti-inflammatory chemi-
cals to occur;
• Glatiramer acetate (Copaxone), by induc-
ing the T-cells to behave as anti-inflam-
matory cells, which can then enter the
central nervous system and reduce
inflammatory activity;
• And now, natalizumab (Tysabri), by block-
ing T-cells from binding to the blood-brain
barrier, thus preventing them from migrat-
ing from the bloodstream into the brain.
These current therapies provide a handy
starting point for combination studies in the
lab and in clinical trials.
Dr. Amit Bar-Or, a neurologist and neu-
roimmunologist at the Montreal
Neurological Institute explains: “Most of the
therapies that have been approved to date,
based on the clinical trial data, have shown
in their Phase 3 clinical studies that the
drugs, be it one of the interferons or
Copaxone, will decrease new MRI activity
by certain parameters such as relapse rate
by about 30-40% on average. Having treat-
ments is better than no treatment but the
question is, can we do more than 30-40%?
Can we get 60, 70, 80% or more?”
The concept of combination therapy for MS
strives to achieve this 60% to 80% efficacy by
combining medicines that target MS by differ-
MS Canada, Spring 2007, p. 5
COMBINATION THERAPY:
A new treatment strategy for MS?
Dr. Jock Murray
ent but complemen-
tary mechanisms of
action, hopefully
without significantly
increasing complica-
tions or side-effects.
That is the ideal.
In MS, it is
believed that the
immune system’s
immune cells,
including T-cells,
cross the blood
brain barrier, enter the central nervous sys-
tem – the brain and spinal cord – and attack
components of myelin, the insulation that
protects nerves, as well as the nerves them-
selves. This causes inflammation and
destruction of myelin and axons.
If the trials prove positive, combinations
made up of current MS treatments could
likely be among the first available. Also on
the horizon are regimens possibly combin-
ing one of the injectable therapies with one
or more of the oral therapies being studied
for use in MS, or even combining two differ-
ent oral medications.
Some combinations under investigation
Avonex and Copaxone
The first large-scale clinical trial testing the
combined use of Avonex and Copaxone for
relapsing-remitting MS is underway in 80
medical centres across North America,
including MS clinics in Calgary, Ottawa and
Toronto. Known as the CombiRx trial, it
seeks to determine whether treating a per-
son with Avonex and Copaxone together is
more effective in reducing relapse rates
than treatment with either drug alone. The
trial is also investigating the safety and tol-
erability of this combination. The study is
following 1000 people for 3 years. Results
are expected in late 2009.
This trial typifies some of the challenges
of clinical trials for combination therapies: a
large number of patients must be recruited
and studied, and followed over a long time,
which increases the cost of the trial and,
ultimately, the cost of the drug.
The CombiRx trial has no placebo-only
group, reflecting current thinking that, in a
serious disease like MS, it is ethically diffi-
cult to put a patient on a placebo for three
years when therapy is available.
Tysabri and Avonex
Tysabri has been studied in combination
with Avonex, however, in a major MS study,
two people developed a severe brain infec-
tion caused by a virus in a rare but often
fatal disease called progressive multifocal
leukoencephalopathy (PML). The affected
patients had been taking Tysabri for more
than two years in combination with Avonex.
Another patient with Crohn’s disease (not
taking Avonex, but with prior treatment with
other immune therapies) also has a similar
complication. This led to the drug compa-
nies’ voluntary removal of Tysabri from the
market, a halting of all clinical trials involv-
ing Tysabri, and a delay in Tysabri’s
release in Canada as a treatment for MS.
Tysabri was eventually approved by Health
Canada in 2006 but as monotherapy – to
be used on its own. Additional research is
needed to clarify the risks and benefits of
MS Canada, Spring 2007, p. 6
Dr. Amit Bar-Or
the Tysabri/Avonex combination.
The Tysabri experience highlights another
of the challenges of combining therapies: in
pursuing a greater effect, you may also be
increasing the risks. It has had a sobering
effect on some of the excitement surround-
ing combination studies in MS.
Mitoxantrone and Copaxone
Mitoxantrone (Novantrone) is an immune sup-
pressant used in cancer treatment. It is
approved in the United States and Europe for
certain patients with MS. Though not
approved in Canada for MS (it was never sub-
mitted for approval), it is sometimes pre-
scribed for worsening cases of relapsing-
remitting MS or to treat active secondary-pro-
gressive MS. Researchers are looking into
combining mitoxantrone with Copaxone, in
sequence. “The idea is to see if first suppress-
ing the inflammatory immune response of the
MS patient with a short course of mitox-
antrone would give Copaxone a better chance
to act,” says Dr. Bar-Or. “Would this be more
effective than just taking Copaxone alone?”
A small study with 27 patients showed that
this combination reduced relapse rate by
90%. Larger studies are in progress, includ-
ing a 15-month study, headed by Dr. Tim
Vollmer of the Barrow Neurological Institute
in Arizona, in which participants are divided
into two groups: one group taking Copaxone
for 15 months; the other group taking three
doses of mitoxantrone instead of the usual
12 doses, then Copaxone for the remaining
months. Early results showed the combina-
tion had positive effects on MRI disease
activity. Results from the extension phase of
the study (24- and 36-month follow-up data)
are expected to be available in 2007.
Mitoxantrone can be toxic to the heart in
high doses so in combination studies it is
used at a lower level, underscoring some of
the difficulties of designing combination stud-
ies – what therapies are you going to com-
bine, in what dosage and in what sequence?
Minocycline, Statins
Researchers are investigating combining the
injectable MS therapies with some of the oral
medications currently being studied for use in
MS, such as minocycline, an antibiotic used
to treat acne, and statins, which are used to
lower cholesterol levels. Basic research,
research using animal models, and now, dif-
ferent levels of clinical trials suggest these
oral medications may have benefit in the MS
disease process. As well, minocycline is
inexpensive and not toxic with long-term use.
And, the statins are generally well tolerated.
Dr. Caroline Geenen, a community neurol-
ogist at the Markham-Stouffville Hospital
in Markham, Ontario, relishes the prospect
of having more therapeutic strategies to
offer her patients. “We’re very hopeful that
there will be a better drug, perhaps an oral
drug, and definitely a cure. The current
medications have certainly improved the
MS Canada, Spring 2007, p. 7
“For us to use combination
therapy, the effectiveness of
the combination would have
to be significantly better than
a single therapy.”
quality of life of patients with relapsing-
remitting MS, but they’re not cures. They
still don’t keep people, at times, from pro-
gressing their MS, so we’re always on the
lookout for better, easier-to-use and less
expensive drugs.”
She cautions, “For us to use combination
therapy, the effectiveness of the combina-
tion would have to be significantly better
than a single therapy.”
One reason is cost. Avonex, Betaseron,
Rebif and Copaxone each cost $16,000 -
$17,000 per year. Tysabri rings in at $33,000.
Combine any two and you have doubled or
tripled the current annual costs. With many of
her patients enrolled in the Ontario govern-
ment’s Trillium Drug Program for people with
high prescription drug costs, Dr. Geenen says,
“Either the government or private insurance will
have to be pretty heartily convinced that there
is major benefit to combining drugs over using
single drugs, simply because of the cost.”
Another issue is injection. The original four
MS treatments are injected at different fre-
quencies – daily, every other day, three
times a week, weekly – and in different
locations – into the muscle, under the skin.
Doubling injections or taking them one and
a half times as often may prove difficult for
some patients. Tysabri is given by infusion,
once a month, which means having to go to
an MS clinic, hospital or infusion centre, to
receive the medication intravenously.
Then there are the possible side-effects
from combining two or more types of med-
ications.
Despite these potential barriers, Dr. Jock
Murray is confident that combination thera-
py will bring better treatments for all forms
of MS. “I believe that effective pharma-
cotherapy for MS will come from under-
standing how to use different medications
in different sequences at different times for
different types of MS. And it likely won’t be
a magic bullet, where people find one ther-
apy that suddenly eliminates the disease. It
will be by learning how to use combinations
with different approaches.”
MS Canada, Spring 2007, p. 8
MS Canada, Spring 2007, p. 9
Tysabri available
on prescription
Health Canada approved Tysabri
(natalizumab), the new treatment
for relapsing–remitting MS, as a
therapy for people with relapsing-
remitting in late September 2006,
and people are beginning to
receive their monthly infusions at
infusion clinics.
The general prescribing indication
for Tysabri is for people with MS
who have had an inadequate response
to other disease modifying therapies
or are unable to tolerate them.
The base price of Tysabri from
Biogen Idec Canada is $2,809.18
per vial (the monthly treatment
dose). The annual base price is
$33,710.16. Generally, there is an
additional mark up at the retail level.
At this time, reimbursement for
the cost of the treatment is avail-
able only from private health
insurers. None of the provincial
governments are, as yet, reim-
bursing the cost of Tysabri. Most
are waiting for the recommenda-
tion from the Common Drug
Review (CDR) process. CDR is
the joint federal/ provincial/ terri-
torial process that examines
whether drugs are cost effective
and if they should be covered by
public drug programs.
The MS Society is closely moni-
toring developments with CDR and
provincial governments to determine
the need for future advocacy efforts.
For more details, go to
www.mssociety.ca and enter key
search word “Tysabri”.
MS later in life not
necessarily bad
Developing MS as an older adult (50
plus years old) does not necessarily
mean more disability, according to
researchers at the University of
British Columbia. The study by
Helen Tremlett, Ph.D., and Virginia
Devonshire, M.D., October 2006
Neurology, suggest that treatment for
late-onset MS should not be different
than the usual treatment approach
once the disease course is deter-
mined. Dr. Tremlett is the recipient of
an MS Society of Canada Dr. Donald
Paty Career Development Award.
While MS is usually diagnosed in
people aged 15 to 40 years old, it
can also develop in children and in
adults aged 50 years and older.
Previously, the development of MS
at an older age, especially in men,
was believed to lead to a worse out-
come, which might call for immedi-
ately beginning aggressive therapy.
For more details, go to
www.mssociety.ca and enter key
search words “late-onset MS”.
Sex hormone study
underway in US
The first large-scale trial of a sex
hormone for the treatment of MS is
underway at seven research centres
in the United States. One hundred
thirty women newly diagnosed with
relapsing-remitting MS will receive
the hormone estriol in combination
with Copaxone or a non-active
placebo for two years.
If successful, this clinical trial will
lay the groundwork for a larger, defin-
itive trial that could lead to a new
treatment option for women with MS.
Its results may also have implications
for women with other autoimmune
diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
In Canada, research has found
that MS affects women three times
as often as men. Other researchers
have observed for a number of years
that MS attacks decline during preg-
nancy, leading to the speculation
that estriol, which rises significantly
during pregnancy, may be responsi-
ble for this easing of symptoms.
For more details, go to
www.mssociety.ca and enter key
search word “estriol”.
Many with MS have abnormal
liver test results
Researchers at the University of
British Columbia report people
with MS who were in the placebo
(non-treated) groups of clinical tri-
als have greater than expected
abnormal liver test results. Lead
investigator Dr. Helen Tremlett
advises people with MS and their
physicians need to take extra care
with medications that might affect
the liver and to consider routine liv-
er testing with some medications.
The study was reported in the
October 2006 Neurology and used data
from the Sylvia Lawry MS Research
Centre in Munich, Germany. Dr.
Tremlett is funded by the MS Society
of Canada through a Dr. Donald Paty
Career Development Award.
The researchers found by year one
nearly 20 per cent of the 813 people
had certain abnormal liver test
results. By year two this had
increased to more than 25 per cent.
Research in BriefMoving closer to a cure every day
Over the two-year period, there was
an over three-fold increased risk of a
person with MS having an elevated
liver test result compared to expecta-
tions. However, overall the risk of
severe liver test abnormalities was
low. Risk factors for having an abnor-
mal liver test were male gender and
higher body mass index.
In an earlier study also funded by
the MS Society of Canada, Dr.
Tremlett and Dr. Joël Oger (also of
the University of B.C.) found beta
interferons, prescribed to modify
the course of MS, can also increase
the risk of an elevated liver tes. The
current study did not include people
on beta interferon therapy.
For more details, go to www.msso-
ciety.ca and enter key search words
“liver test”.
MS Canada recently talked with Dr.
Trevor Owens, chair of the MS
Society’s Biomedical Research
Review Committee. In this role, he is
in the unique position of seeing all
research funding proposals submit-
ted to the MS Society. .
Part I focuses on the researchapplication process and Dr. Owens’own research. The next issue of MSCanada will feature Dr. Owens’ dis-cussion on stem cells, progressive MSand Canada’s role in the MS world. Q: How and why did you come to
serve as chair of the Biomedical
Research Review Committee?
I enjoyed working with the MS
Society biomedical review commit-
tee (as a member) because the level
of involvement is very high. All of
my colleagues who have served on
it have made the same observation.
It is very rewarding for a scientist
when there is a sense of commit-
ment and purpose. Each application
receives a very thorough review. It
sounds a little contradictory to say
that we have to work harder and we
enjoy it, but as scientists we enjoy
reading and discussing science.
Q: How much time would you
estimate that you spend reviewing
applications?
In December, I will receive the full
applications and I will read all of
them and write reviews on some of
them. So December through
January I will give each grant a
couple of hours on average. Written
reviews take about a day…it all
adds up to a number of days work,
which is spread out over a six-week
period. The committee will come
together at the end of January with
our full one or two page reviews.
We will each have read all of the
applications. We then sit for two
days in committee to deliberate and
make recommendations.
Q: Speaking to some of your own
research, you’ve been investigat-
ing how immune cells can cross
the blood-brain-barrier. Can you
tell us a little more about that and
what you hope to achieve with
your research?
We know that there is an immune
process that happens in the brain.
We can see the immune cells there.
They are not normally there, so that
looks like something that is wrong
and should be fixed. Some of the
current MS therapies, that are bene-
ficial, are directed against that
inflammatory process. My research
is to try and understand what that
inflammatory process is doing in the
brain and how we would stop it, to
the benefit of the patient.
On that last point, there is a grow-
ing sense that the immune response
is not just a villain. Our immune
system is able to get into our brain,
likely not only because something
terrible has gone wrong in the brain,
but also because it should be able to
get there, to deal with infections for
instance, or to repair damage. The
mechanisms underlying some of
these processes are not well under-
stood yet. So the idea that we
should plain and simple prevent
entry of the immune system to the
brain is probably a little simplistic.
We would like to understand under
what circumstances we should
allow it and under what circum-
stances we should prevent it.
Join us next issue for part II of thisinterview.
MS Canada, Spring 2007, p. 10
continued from previous page
A chat with Dr. Owens
Dr. Trevor Owens
MS Canada, Spring 2007, p. 11
The MS Society of
Canada had a ban-
ner year in 2006
with $30 million
in revenue raised
through MS Soc-
iety events to
support research and
services for people with MS. This
represented an increase of 11 per cent
over funds raised in 2005. “The
record results this year are an incred-
ible testament to the passion and
commitment of our volunteers, sup-
porters and staff,” says Ken Mayhew,
national vice-president of fundrais-
ing. The MS Society’s main events,
including the Super Cities Walk for
MS and RONA MS Bike Tour, con-
tributed more than $23 million.
Corporate dinners, golf tournaments
and other community fundraisers
brought in $6.9 million nationwide.
For more financial highlights,please see our 2005/2006 AnnualReport online at www.mssociety.caunder About Us. You can also call1-866-922-6065, ext 2217 torequest a printed copy.
STATEMENT OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE
For the year ended August 31, 2006 (in thousands of dollars) 2006 2005
$ $
Revenue
Donations and special fundraising projects –
net of related expenses 25,459 22,204
Grants 2,415 2,26
Allocations from United Way 1,205 1,000
Investment income 904 1,01
Memberships 90 96
30,073 26,581
Expenditure
Program Services
Research 9,004 6,604
MS Clinics 908 904
Client services 9,794 9,285
Public education 2,501 2,210
Chapter development 1,623 1,406
Government relations 978 956
24,808 21,365
Support services
Administration 3,214 3,253
Fundraising 1,479 1,413
4,693 4,666
29,501 26,031
Excess of revenue over expenditure for the year 572 550
2005/2006 Review
This issue of MS Canada is supported through an
unrestricted eductional grant from Teva Neuroscience
and Shared Solutions®
MS Canada, Spring 2007, p. 12
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New publicationsfor youth
We are very pleased to introduce two sup-
portive publications for children and
youth with parents who have MS. Our
thanks to RBC Foundation and J.P.
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easy to overlook the impact of a parent's
multiple sclerosis on a child," says
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valuable resource that will help them
understand the changes in their family
lives because of their parent's MS.
Information brings comfort, and RBC
Foundation is proud to support this publi-
cation as it brings comfort to those chil-
dren and families who need it most.”
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