12 February 2026 Research
The Motor Neurone Disease Association has trebled its investment in the unique MND-SMART trial platform which is driving faster research into potential treatments for motor neurone disease (MND).
The Association has now committed £1.5 million over five years to MND-SMART, increasing its contribution from the £0.5 million originally planned to ensure the trial continues at pace. MND Scotland, the founding funder of the trial since 2018, has reduced its future commitments to MND-SMART but remains a committed partner, contributing £1 million to the £2.5 million collaboration.
More than 1,000 participants have taken part in trials of potential treatments via the platform since it was launched in 2018, with recruitment beginning in 2020.
The Association’s increased investment will support the planned expansion of the platform, creating more opportunities for people with MND to take part in trials near their homes, and speeding up the testing of promising treatments.
There are currently 26 clinics, hospitals and universities across England. Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland where people with MND can take part in trials on the MND-SMART platform. These include 12 MND Association-funded care centres and networks. A further two sites will open this year, including one at the Rob Burrow Centre for MND in Leeds.
The MND SMART platform allows multiple potential treatments to be tested at the same time, with results measured against one group of people taking a placebo or dummy drug. That means more people who sign up are given drugs which could prove to be life-changing. If early results don’t show a positive effect, the drugs are removed from the trial platform, speeding up the trial process.
Results of the next interim analysis of amantadine – one of the drugs being tested in the platform trial – are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
The £1.5 million funding announcement follows the launch of the Association’s new research and innovation strategy - a five-year roadmap which will accelerate investment in world-leading research and drive progress towards better treatments and, ultimately, a cure.
“MND-SMART is a pioneering drugs trial platform, exactly the kind of innovative research we’ve committed to focusing our investment on over the next five years. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters we’re pleased to be able to extend our funding commitment which will drive real progress for people with MND.”
Tanya Curry, Chief Executive of the MND Association
MND-SMART is a collaborative initiative, based at the Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research at the University of Edinburgh and is a flagship project of the UK Dementia Research Institute. The MND Association co-funds the platform trial in partnership with MND Scotland, the founding funder of the trial since 2019. MND-SMART is also supported by the Alan Davidson Foundation, the Euan MacDonald Centre, and Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic.
“Trebling our commitment to this innovative trial platform reflects our determination to further our understanding of MND, develop new treatments and ensure more people have the chance to take part in clinical trials. Working at greater scale means faster progress – and we urgently need that as every day matters for everyone affected by MND.”
Mike Rogers, Director of Research and Innovation at the MND Association
About MND-SMART
MND-SMART is the UK's first 'multi-arm' trial for MND . This means more than one treatment will be tested at the same time. The trial will initially test medicines that are already approved as treatments for other disorders in the UK. Trial participants taking the different treatments will be compared with those taking a placebo (a dummy drug). By using medicines already approved for other conditions, the trial aims to reduce development time, minimise risk and bring new treatment options closer.
Currently, MND-SMART is testing two drugs – tacrolimus and amantadine. Early pre-clinical studies suggest both drugs may help slow the progression of MND.