UK Government announces £50m for MND research to find a cure

£50m has been committed by the UK Government to help find a cure for Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

The condition attacks the nervous system and affects around 5000 people in the UK.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the £50 million in the Sunday Express, writing that it will "transform the fight" against MND, which he says "kills six people" in the UK every day.

Rugby legend and MND campaigner Doddie Weir had worked with his charity, the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, MND Scotland, Borders MP John Lamont and the Daily Express newspaper to push for additional government funding.

There is currently no cure for MND and only one treatment drug is licensed in the UK, which slows the disease's progression and extends a patient's life by a few months.

The Prime Minister said the funding would be used to "turbo-charge" the search for new therapies and drugs which could potentially improve the life chances of those who are diagnosed with the "cruel and debilitating" illness.

Mr Johnson added: "Together we can turn motor neurone disease from a terminal illness to a treatable condition, giving new hope to anyone diagnosed and to all their loved ones who care for them."

A new Government unit will be set up to attract more innovative research applications for the funding, according to the Department of Health and Social Care.

Borders MP John Lamont 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.

“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.”

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.