News

On March 23, Congress passed a $1.2 trillion  spending package for fiscal year 2024. This legislation funds federal agencies and programs until September 30, 2024 - the end of the federal fiscal year. President Biden signed the legislation into law later that morning.  

Thanks to the dedication of MS Activists across the country throughout the year, the following MS priorities were included in the final appropriations package: 

• $48.6 billion for the National Institutes of Health, a $300 million increase from the FY2023 level;
  • $2.2 billion for the National Institute of Mental Health;
  • $2.6 billion for the  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke;  
  • $1.5 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health;
• $4.1 billion for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, equal to the FY2023 level;
• $3.5 billion for the Food and Drug Administration, equal to the FY2023 level; and
• $5 million for the CDC’s National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System.

Most notably, $20 million in funding was secured for the MS Research Program (MSRP) at the Department of Defense, equal to the FY2023 level. As the only dedicated federal research funding stream for MS, MSRP funding has supported innovative and impactful research since its inception in 2009. To date, MSRP funds have resulted in:  

• An FDA breakthrough device designation for an MS blood biomarker test;
• 11 clinical trials;
• 253 peer-reviewed journal publications with a total citation of 11,794;
• $45.6 million in follow-up funding for 63 new grants; and
• 4 issued patents and 3 patent applications.

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