MNDA makes grant to allow gene therapy research

The UK's largest motor neurone disease charity has made a financial award to a leading gene therapy biopharmaceutical company.

A grant of £255,000 has been made by the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) to Oxford BioMedica to use their expertise to search for a cure for the degenerative condition.

The drug VEGF-B has shown promise in previous treatment trials and it is hoped that gene therapy can help to unlock its greater potential.

MNDA director of research development Dr Brian Dickie says that ensuring that drugs get to the site of action in the brain and spine is one of the most difficult challenges with the development of treatments.

"We are delighted to support a research initiative which combines innovative approaches to drug delivery with the development of a promising therapeutic compound," he added.

The charity estimates that two in every 100,000 people in the UK develops motor neurone disease every year.

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