The Federal Government will spend more than $40 million to establish a new clinical network aimed at giving sufferers of motor neurone disease (MND) access to more treatment trials.
Named after 2025 Australian of the Year and AFL legend, Neale Daniher, the national MND clinical network is being framed as both a major boost to clinical research and a legacy for one of Australia’s most prominent advocates for people living with motor neurone disease.
The funding will support FightMND to establish the national network, which will work to expand access to clinical trials, attract global drug studies to Australia and improve care and outcomes for people with MND.
Health Minister Mark Butler said the investment reflected both the severity of the disease and the impact of Neale Daniher’s advocacy.
“Motor neurone disease is one of the most harrowing conditions we face. It is progressive, fatal, and there is no known cure,” Butler said.
Around 2,700 Australians are currently living with MND, with two more diagnosed with the condition every day, with two more dying from it every day. After diagnosis, sufferers generally have an average life expectancy of a little over two years.
“Neale Daniher has led a tireless fight for the MND community, accelerating research and giving hope to thousands of Australians,” Minister Butler added.
“We want to accelerate the development and delivery of effective treatments, and ultimately a cure, for MND.
Daniher was diagnosed with MND in 2013 and was named Australian of the Year in 2025 in recognition of his leadership and advocacy for research into the disease.
“When I was named Australian of the Year in 2025, I asked the community to imagine. Imagine unlocking the mysteries of the neurological frontier right here in Australia,” Daniher said.
“This funding commitment from the Albanese Government is a powerful step forward in this fight against the Beast.
Daniher added that he was excited to see scientific progress advancing, momentum building and that the establishment of FightMND will strengthen the foundations needed to drive real progress.
Refusing to “quietly retreat and give in to his fate” after his diagnosis, Daniher instead drew on the same qualities that defined his football career to mobilise community support.
Together with Pat Cunningham and the late Dr Ian Davis OAM, he co-founded FightMND in 2014, helping build it into one of the largest independent funders of MND research in Australia.
“To date, FightMND has invested an astonishing $117 million in care and cure initiatives for those with MND,” the article said, adding that Daniher remains “the face and voice of the organisation” despite his ongoing battle with the disease.
Government funding has already helped FightMND support 17 clinical trials involving more than 700 people with MND at sites across the country. The new investment is expected to build on that work by increasing the number of trial sites, strengthening national coordination and making it easier for people in regional, rural and remote areas to participate.
“This investment isn’t for my benefit. It’s about laying the foundations, so others don’t have to go through what I have,” Daniher added.
Objectives for the clinical network also include establishing Australia as a destination for global MND clinical trials, improving national data infrastructure, identifying new care pathways and supporting the next generation of researchers.
Motor neurone disease currently has limited treatment options, making clinical trials a critical avenue for advancing knowledge and providing access to potential new therapies. The Neale Daniher National MND Clinical Network is expected to play a central role in those efforts, with the stated aim of accelerating the development and delivery of more effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure.
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