Latest News
Medicinal marijuana to be legalised in Victoria
Locally-grown medicinal cannabis will be legalised in Victoria, under a State Government move to ease the suffering of people with serious medical conditions. Legislation will be introduced by the end of the year establishing the Office of Medicinal Cannabis, which will oversee research,...
Promising results for ocrelizumab in primary progressive MS
Genentech, a biotechnology company owned by Roche Pharmaceuticals, has announced promising results from a phase III clinical trial of experimental therapy ocrelizumab in people with primary progressive MS.
In a ...
NDIS rolls out in Queensland
Townsville, Charters Towers and Palm Island will be the first sites in Queensland to trial the NDIS from early 2016.
This means that about 1,600 north Queenslanders will be able to access the Scheme six months...
Get yourself ready with the NDIS Checklist
It was a monumental week for people living with MS with the announcement of the full rollout of NDIS in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria. ...
Melatonin levels may explain seasonal variation in MS relapses
There has been a significant amount of research into the role that seasonal variations in the levels of vitamin D may play in risk of MS and seasonal variation in relapses, but researchers have also been investigating whether the seasonal variation in melatonin could play a part in this.
...
MSA Welcomes New Minister for Social Services
It has been announced that West Australian Christian Porter is to be the new Federal Social Services Minister in charge of delivering the $22 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Deidre Mackechnie, Acting CEO of MSA, said: “We congratulate Minister Porter on his...
NDIS today announces full rollout in NSW and Victoria
Bilateral agreements signed today between Prime Minister Turnbull and Premiers Baird and Andrews specify how and when the $22 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will be rolled out in NSW and Victoria.
It’s being introduced in stages; the first stage of the NDIS commenced...
MS Australia cautiously optimistic about new PM
The MS community is watching the change in Australian Government leadership with great interest and cautious optimism. We are optimistic about the fresh approach that any change in leadership can bring about, and our caution is that we are hoping for not just a change in style but a change in...
John Studdy 2015 Award winner announced
Lina Marrocco has been recognised with the 2015 John Studdy Award for her tireless work as Chair of Charityworks for MS.
The most prestigious Award of Multiple Sclerosis Australia...
Quitting smoking can delay MS progression
Smoking is a well-established risk factor for the development of MS, but the effects it has on disease progression after diagnosis have been less clear.
However a new study from researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, is the first to provide strong evidence that...
Tasmanian neurosceintist recognised for work in MS research
Dr Kaylene Young, a Tasmanian neuroscientist has this week been recognised for her work on brain stem cells. She said she was optimistic her research would one day offer hope for the treatment of both MS and Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr Young said common to both MS and Alzheimer’s was the loss...
The Aged care/NDIS interface
How do people with MS over the age of 65 have their disability needs met?
People with MS with a disability aged under 65 right across Australia will be able to apply for a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) package, once the NDIS is fully rolled out by 2019. There are already...