Millions in funding for motor neurone disease research

Millions in funding for motor neurone disease research from the UK government.

The government is set to invest nearly £400 million in research for neurodegenerative diseases. Research into motor neurone disease will receive a minimum of £50 million from the new funding.

During the next five years, the UK government will invest £375 million. It is hoped that people living with neurodegenerative diseases will live longer, healthier lives thanks to new research which will be carried out thanks to the funding.

According to the government: “The full £375 million investment will fund projects into a range of diseases such as Pick’s Disease, Fronto-temporal dementia, wernicke-korsakoff, Parkinson’s disease dementia, Lewy Body dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment, improving our understanding while searching for new treatments.”

Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, explained: “Neurodegenerative conditions like MND can have a devastating impact on people’s lives and I’m committed to ensuring the government does everything we can to fight these diseases and support those affected.

“We’ve already invested millions in understanding and treating MND and our new funding commitment will back more research into this and other neurodegenerative diseases.

“The UK is a global leader in medical research. Our world-class research sector was central to the discovery of lifesaving treatments for COVID-19 like dexamethasone and Tocilizumab, as well as the development of the vaccine programme which has saved hundreds of thousands of lives.”

He added: “We will continue to harness this expertise and innovation to support pioneering projects to find better treatments for those living with motor neurone disease, like the excellent work underway at NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre where scientists are trialling new drugs to treat the condition.”

Kwasi Kwarteng Business Secretary commented on the new funding and said: “The UK is home to some of the most transformative and innovative medical research in the world, and the availability of this research funding, alongside the work of our strong life science and pharmaceuticals sector, will make the most of that research to help those living with motor neurone disease.

“It is vital that we increase our understanding of this condition in pursuit of new treatments and better care, and I am pleased to see UK institutions at the forefront of that work.”

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