Welcome Letter from ACTRIMS President on MSVirtual2020

Members of the Media, 

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 8th joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS conference. This conference, MSVirtual2020, is the largest conference dedicated to multiple sclerosis (MS) research and our first virtual conference.  While we will miss seeing you in-person, we do look forward to interacting with you and furnishing interviews via phone and video conference.  

We have an exciting program for you, with world class scientists and clinicians presenting the latest research, clinical trial outcomes, new and promising therapeutics, breakthroughs and new cutting edge technologies in MS. 

More specifically, during MSVirtual2020, you will hear about:

• Cutting-edge research into the cause of MS, ranging from epigenetics and genetic factors, to defining the intricate immunological and pathological pathways that inform drug discovery and therapeutic interventions. 
• Radiological advances and machine learning approaches and how these techniques can help us better understand MS.
• Biomarkers of disease activity and response to therapy, which is critical for the future of personalized medicine in MS. 
• The outcomes of recent clinical trials of new agents and interventions, innovations in symptomatic and rehabilitative therapy, and current research on MS and COVID-19.

As registered members of the media, you will have access to the full program including plenary sessions, invited speakers and platform presentations, and industry supported satellite symposia. Should you miss a presentation, it will be available 24 hours after broadcast for you to view. 

We have also planned some media-only press events so that you can have the exclusive opportunity to speak with myself, my fellow ACTRIMS and ECTRIMS leaders, and late-breaker investigators. The press managers are available to help you arrange interviews with participating presenters, scientists and clinicians.

The main program will take place September 11-13. We are also hosting a special program on Saturday, September 26th that will feature the late breaker presentations and a special session on the Impact of COVID on MS Research, Clinical Practice, and Care. For your convenience and so you have more direct time with investigators, we have planned a media-only event on Friday, September 25th at 9:00 a.m. ET where we will host a live Q&A with the late-breaking investigators. To help you prepare for this Q&A, the abstracts will be available to media on Thursday, September 21st.   Reach out to the press managers if you are interested in advanced copies. 

Again, we are pleased you have taken an interest in the MSVirtual2020 program and look forward to working with you to furnish you with what you need to write your stories and cover our conference. 

Sincerely,

Jeffrey A. Cohen, MD

ACTRIMS President