A Tonic for a painful and incurable
disease most prevalent in the north of Scotland and affecting 60,000 Britons could be just months away.
Campaigners in the
Highlands and Islands said yesterday they were thrilled at the prospect of possible human trials of a
vaccine within a year.
Its development still requires a further
£250,000 in funding to be raised.
The scientist leading the crusade against
Crohn's, a debilitating bowel disease caused by bacteria found in
milk,
water and
meat, has fought a long battle to persuade politicians to grant his
vaccine a licence.
John Hermon-Taylor, professor of surgery at
St George's, University of London, told the Press and Journal: "It's very exciting.
"We just need the funds to enable us to do this.
"We have produced the first
vaccine in the world that we have shown to work in animals.
"If we had the money on Monday, we would have the necessary 'good manufacturing process' requirements done probably by the end of
July and have our applications for clinical trial approvals in by
November.
"We would be hoping around
January 2007 to be able to proceed to human trials."
He said volunteers would be sought and he believed his team would know within
six months of those trials whether or
not it was successful.
Crohn's is a
chronic inflammatory disease that causes stomach pains, diarrhoea and weight loss.
It is difficult to detect and treat. It can affect anyone and can ultimately require surgery to remove the large intestine.
About
6,000 new cases are diagnosed
each year and it inexplicably affects the north of Britain disproportionately. There are
60 sufferers in Orkney where the population is just
19,000.
From 1968 to 1992 the incidence of
Crohn's in young Scots
rose fourfold.
The treatment, combining approved drugs
Rifabutin and
Clarithromycin, was devised by applying
DNA technology to "fingerprint" the bug.
It is claimed to have lasting, healing powers after an
18-month to three-year course, but privately costs about
£230 per month.
Tim Page, who has helped raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for research through
The Chronic Crohn's Campaign, said: " This is extremely significant. It's the difference between getting a
vaccine and
not getting a
vaccine. We desperately need this last lot of money to achieve this final goal. "
Trevor Flett, of Inverness, who has a sister and nephew with
Crohn's, said: "It's brilliant news if we are within a year of human trials, but the Government does little to help.
"It's happy to spend hundreds of millions on painkillers and operations, but it's doing little to help the research into a disease that can lead to a lingering and painful death."
Graham Simpson, a
29-year-old Orcadian, had surgery to remove his large intestine and has since relied on a pouch strapped to his side to help him live a normal life.
He said yesterday: "If there are more and more people getting it, it would be great to know that more and more people have a fighting chance of getting better."
He suggested a contribution of
Lotto money to bridge the funding gap.
Highlands and Islands Conservative MSP Mary Scanlon said: "I would have thought the Government should prioritise investment to help understand and reduce the incidence of this disease and to ease the suffering."
The Scottish Executive is funding four research projects relating to
Crohn's at a combined cost of
£562,000, but remains to be convinced that the combination treatment should be licensed for use in the treatment of the
disease.
Anyone wishing to make a donation to the latest research should call the appeals office during office hours at
St George's Hospital on
0208 725 5025 or 0208 767 7631, and quote the fund account code
RLB0057.
or contact Tim Page - tccc.uk@btinternet.com
