Merck leads charge in advocacy as stakeholders call for taskforce in neurological conditions

Pharma News: Neurological conditions are increasingly prevalent in Australia and worldwide. Despite being acknowledged as one of the nation’s top disease burdens, they remain under-recognised and underfunded.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has identified neurological conditions as one of Australia’s top five disease burdens, with an estimated annual economic impact of more than $100 billion.

“Without effective strategies in place to mitigate their impact, they are a ticking time bomb on our health system and economy,” said Rohan Greenland, Chief Executive of Neurological Alliance Australia (NAA) and MS Australia.

A recent National Summit in Canberra highlighted the urgency of the issue, calling for the establishment of a Taskforce for Neurological Conditions to address the needs of millions of Australians affected by these conditions.

For over 20 years, Merck has been dedicated to understanding and improving the lives of those affected by multiple sclerosis (MS).

This year, the Merck team engaged in activities to learn from the lived experiences of people with MS and participated in The May 50K fundraiser, supporting vital research. The team’s fundraising efforts, combined with a matched donation from Merck, raised a record $19,325 in 2024, contributing to a total of $99,740 over the history of the challenge.

Greenland expressed his gratitude for Merck’s active participation and commitment to the MS community.

“The team’s ongoing commitment to raise funds is greatly appreciated, and we would like to extend our gratitude to Merck for the generous donation to double your impact. The support you and the team give really does show that we are working together to strive for the very best outcomes for people living with MS,” he said.

Josie Downey, Managing Director of Merck Healthcare Australia and New Zealand, also thanked MS Australia for their continued advocacy.

“Early diagnosis and detection are critical to change the future of MS, and we are grateful to MS Australia for joining our team in May and June to help us better understand people’s experiences of the disease and advocating for the Australian MS community,” said Downey.

“This understanding drives our focus on improving the lives of those affected by MS. That is why we are proud to stand alongside the MS community and show our support for events like MS Australia’s The May 50K, and the National Summit which does so much to help deepen community understanding of neurological disease,” she added.

In an effort to combat MS, Merck invited Dr Julia Morahan, Head of Research, and Dr Tenille Luker, Deputy Head of Research from MS Australia, along with guest speaker Kelly Engelhardt, an MS Australia Ambassador, to a dedicated event at Merck’s Sydney head office on World MS Day.

Kelly shared her moving personal journey with MS, highlighting its impact on her life, career, and family. Diagnosed in July 2001 while studying teaching at university, her teaching career was cut short as her condition worsened. Now married with two children, Kelly has been receiving NDIS support for five years.

While Merck had high hopes for the commercialisation of its new BTK inhibitor, evobrutinib, it did not outperform Sanofi’s Aubagio in two phase 3 MS clinical trials in December 2023.

The company disclosed that the decision to discontinue evobrutinib resulted in a one-time cost of 95 million euros ($103.5 million). This financial impact was mitigated by sales momentum and income from the PD-L1 antibody Bavencio (avelumab), for which Merck re-secured rights from Pfizer a year ago.

NAA Deputy Chair and Emerge Australia CEO, Anne Wilson, said “We know there are world-leading researchers working hard to discover better treatments and, ultimately, cures for the range of neurological conditions.  

“But progress cannot be made without significant investment, which is why we are calling for a Neurological Mission within the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).”

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