Further Investment In New Research

22 April 2020

My Name'5 Doddie Foundation has made two substantial donations to help fund groundbreaking research into a cure for motor neuron disease.

The most recent contribution to medical research charity Funding Neuro amounts to £165,000.

This has paid for the development of a prototype of the drug which, when ready, will be used for clinical trials.

The research is being carried out by Professor Steven Gill, founder of the Functional Neurosurgery Research Group at the University of Bristol.

The initial phase of his work examined if the treatment would flow to the affected motor neurons in the spinal cord after being delivered directly into the brain. This was completed successfully last year.

The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation kick-started funding for that stage by donating £50,000 of the required £150,000. The rest was delivered by supporters of the Glasgow-based charity, Funding Neuro, which is helping Professor Gill raise funds for his research.

Doddie Weir: “We are delighted to contribute towards this important research, especially during these uncertain times. We recognise that research must continue and, thanks to the generosity of all our donors and contributors, we are able to continue with our commitment. We remain dedicated to searching for a cure for MND”.

Sharon Kane, Chief Executive of Funding Neuro, said: “We are really pleased with the generous donation from Doddie’s Foundation.  It has enabled us to push ahead with the next phase without delay. We want to do everything we can to accelerate the research, this is a really good example of how two charities working together can make this happen.  We hope following the next stage we will be a step closer to finding a cure for this devastating disease."