Huge research funding to target alzheimer's, stroke, diabetes and mental health

Main Category: Diabetes
Article Date: 23 Mar 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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UK Health Secretary, John Reid, announced today that the extra £100 million per year by 2008 for research and development set out in the Budget will be used to fund research into the treatment and cure of four major diseases - Alzheimer's, stroke, diabetes and mental health as well as developing new medicines for children. The outstanding success of the National Cancer Research Networks, which have doubled the number of patients in clinical trials, will provide the model to tackle these diseases.

The creation of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC) will bring together the NHS, Medical Research Council, medical charities and industry to speed up the development of new medicines and treatments from the laboratory to the patient's bedside - meaning more patients benefit from the latest scientific advances. This will include giving more patients the chance to take part in clinical trials.

The boost in funding will bring combined government spending on medical research to £1.2 billion. The largest ever sustained increase in research funding will be used to:

fund specialist research into three of the most common diseases amongst older patients - stroke, diabetes and Alzheimer's;

bring together existing paediatric research centres to deliver faster progress in developing drugs for use in children;

expand the research network within the National Institute of Mental Health to make it larger and more inclusive to help relieve the distress of the mentally ill.

John Reid said:

"We will not cut, but rather will expand investment in Medical Research. Since we know that this investment saves lives, the government will go further and faster in investing in clinical research. Our experience with the National Cancer Research Institute taught us that the real power to solve some of our outstanding health problems comes from the government investing in collaboration and partnership.

That is why I am making available an additional £25 million in each of the next 4 years over and above inflation. This represents the largest sustained increase in NHS R&D funding ever announced.

Investment in research saves lives that is why the Government wishes to make Britain the best place for R&D and innovation in the world. I wish to ensure that the NHS's contribution to medical research is one of the centre pieces of that".

Notes to editor

1. The combined government budget for medical research is currently £1 billion and will rise to £1.2 billion by 2008. The NHS will receive an additional £25 million each year for the next four years totalling £100 million, and it is anticipated that additional resources will be made available to the Medical Research Council.

2. The development of the National Cancer Research Network which has led to 34 cancer networks being established in England. Each network brings together clinical teams, primary care trusts, voluntary sector and patients for larger, multicentre clinical trials.

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