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People with NMOSD and MOGAD in Italy raise their voice

25.04.2023

We will work to support people, and promote scientific research & the development of new treatments for a better quality of life. – AINMO, the new NMOSD and MOGAD society, was founded thanks to the commitment of the Italian MS Society

NMOSD Month

March is the neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) awareness month. These autoimmune-based degenerative diseases affecting the nervous system were once considered as multiple sclerosis. Today, thanks to the progress of science, we are able to make a specific diagnosis of NMOSD and MOGAD, an anti-MOG antibody-associated disease.

NMOSD  is a rare, serious, and disabling disease. In Italy, there are between 1,500 and 2,000 people living with this condition. MOGAD is also considered a very rare disease. While Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder generally affects the eyes and spinal cord, multiple sclerosis and MOGAD also affect the brain.

Italian NMO Society

People with NMOSD, MOGAD, and MS have similar needs, they are treated by neurologists and a multidisciplinary team.

For these reasons, the Italian MS Society promoted the foundation of a new organization to raise awareness and give voice to people affected by NMOSD and MOGAD.

AINMO (Associazione Italiana Neuromielite Ottica) is therefore the first Italian society dedicated to neuromyelitis optica.

«We people with NMODD and MOGAD need information and support to deal with these pathologies and their symptoms. The newly available therapies can modify the course of the disease, but there is a lack of global management and access to treatment is not always easy. We want to raise awareness, that’s why we founded AINMO with the Italian MS Society. Being part of the MS movement will surely give strength to our mission» – says Elisabetta Lilli President of AINMO.

«This new organization will support the community of people with NMOSD and MOGAD, promoting research, new treatments, and sharing information between patients, caregivers, and social-health workers. AISM has always been dealing with this disease. From now on we will be even more effective» – highlighted Mario Alberto Battaglia, CEO of the Italian MS Society and Vice President of AINMO.


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