MDA SUSPENDS FUNDING OF GENE THERAPY INITIATIVE
TUCSON, Ariz., Jan. 28, 2000 — The Muscular Dystrophy Association today announced it is suspending funding for its gene therapy clinical trial being conducted under the aegis of the University of Pennsylvania's Institute for Human Gene Therapy, following the Food and Drug Administration's recent decision to halt eight Institute gene therapy trials.
"MDA's commitment to patient safety is paramount," said Dr. R. Rodney Howell, chairman of the MDA Scientific Advisory Committee and a member of the Association's Board of Directors. Howell added that the problem at Penn occurred in a project unrelated to the MDA-funded clinical gene therapy trial in muscle, launched in September 1999. Nonetheless, the Association is conducting an independent review of adherence to protocols governing its trial.
"MDA will pursue every meaningful avenue of investigation until treatments and cures are found for neuromuscular diseases," Howell said. "We remain committed to advancing gene therapy research and are considering other options for clinical trials to determine the safety of gene-based therapies for muscle."
MDA is a voluntary health agency working to defeat neuromuscular diseases through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive medical and community services, and far-reaching professional and public health education. Recognized by the American Medical Association with a Lifetime Achievement Award "for significant and lasting contributions to the health and welfare of humanity," MDA maintains 230 hospital-affiliated clinics that offer families the best in care for progressive neuromuscular diseases.
MDA annually funds some 400 scientific teams worldwide. These investigators have made significant advances toward cures for several muscle-wasting diseases. They also have pioneered breakthroughs that may well lead to therapies for heart disease, cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's and cystic fibrosis.
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