Multiple Sclerosis Association, Antidote Technologies Collaborate to Raise Clinical-trial Awareness

The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) and Antidote Technologies announced a partnership to increase awareness about clinical trials on multiple sclerosis (MS) and to make important information more accessible.

In addition to helping those with the disease, the effort aims to help companies planning trials to find participants for them.

Antidote Technologies is a digital health company that aims to close the gap between medical research and the people who need it.

Antidote Match, a clinical trial search tool, is one of the solutions. It will be available on MSAA’s website to allow visitors to find trials that are germane to them or their loved ones more easily, just by answering a few questions. The search engine uses natural language processing and artificial intelligence to help people find clinical trial matches.

MS researchers are always testing potential treatments in clinical trials. Currently, there are over 100 trials in the United States alone that, combined, need over 115,000 people to participate. Eighty percent of trials can be delayed, or closed, because of difficulties in finding patients who want to take part.

“At MSAA, we recognize the importance of having resources and information available to help the MS community,” Gina Ross Murdoch, president and chief executive officer of MSAA, said in a press release. “We also recognize the urgency involved in matching interested individuals with appropriate clinical trials to expedite MS research. 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 innovations that may benefit people with MS, Antidote will provide its match tool at no cost to MSAA, as it does for other organizations the company works with.

“Speeding up research in MS will have a huge impact on the lives of patients and care partners,” said Pablo Graiver, Antidote’s chief executive officer and founder. “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.”