At least £50m has been committed by the UK Government to help find a cure for Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
The condition that affects the brain and nerves affects around 5000 people in the UK. It is hoped that new, innovative projects will help researchers to better understand the disease and its related conditions, develop and test treatments and improve care for those living with MND.
There is currently only one drug licensed in the UK to treat MND – Riluzole – which slows the progression of the disease and extends someone’s life by a few months.
Borders MP, John Lamont, has campaigned for the £50m package alongside local charity, the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, MND Scotland and the Daily Express newspaper.
Mr Lamont supported a debate on the issue in July in Parliament, quizzed Boris Johnson on the funding at Prime Minister’s Questions earlier in the year, and requested the funding as part of this year’s Spending Review.
The investment is part of a wider funding package of £375m to fund projects into a range of diseases such as Pick’s Disease, fronto-temporal dementia, wernicke-korsakoff, Parkinson’s, Lewy Body dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.
For MND, a new National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) unit will be set up to help encourage more innovative studies into the disease with the ultimate goal of finding a cure.
John Lamont MP said:
“I am over the moon that the UK Government has supported this £50m investment into MND to help find a cure. It forms part of a wider £375m investment into neurodegenerative diseases which devastate so many families across the Borders.
“I am proud to have played a part in pushing for this investment. However, it is the tireless campaigning of Doddie Weir who has raised the profile of this awful disease and raised millions of pounds in the process through his charity that has made this all possible.
“His bravery and determination in the face of adversity has been awe inspiring when he could have so easily given up.
“The UK is a global leader in medical research and this investment will keep our brightest and best scientists at the forefront of the battle to find a cure.”
