New trial Centre for MND-SMART in Aberdeen

Image of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary including NHS Grampian logo

January 2021: Approvals are in place for the MND trial to begin recruiting participants across NHS Grampian.

Research participants will now be welcomed to MND-SMART at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. This is the trial’s fifth UK centre and people diagnosed with motor neurone disease will be able to join the clinical trial from across the NHS Grampian region.

Whilst working to open new sites as quickly as possible, ensuring the safety of people taking part in MND-SMART is the trial teams’ highest priority.  The trial sponsor and local research and development teams have carefully reviewed the impact of Covid-19 and have provided clear guidance that recruitment to MND-SMART may continue in line with the ongoing delivery of essential healthcare

Dr Callum Duncan is the Consultant Neurologist leading the study at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

We are looking forward to welcoming people into the MND-SMART trial. This is the first wide-scale MND clinical trial in years and so is a very exciting step forward amongst hugely challenging times in healthcare.

Dr Callum DuncanConsultant Neurologist

MND-SMART trial centres already open are in Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow and Salford.

People with MND who have already registered online interest in the trial and who live in the NHS Grampian region, will be contacted by the trial team over the coming months to discuss taking part. Please be aware that Covid-19 rules will have an impact on the pace of recruitment.

MND-SMART is a pioneering clinical trial in its reach and design that launched in January 2020. The trial is recruiting hundreds of people living with MND across the UK to take part in tests of potential treatments.

Unlike typical clinical trials which test a single treatment at a time, MND-SMART is testing multiple drugs and so aims to speed up the time it takes to find medicines that can slow, stop, or reverse the progression of, MND.

The trial has been developed by people with MND and clinical trial experts from across the UK. The study is led by the Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research at the University of Edinburgh.

In Scotland, the study is being supported by NHS Research Scotland Neuroprogressive and Dementia research network, who have over a decade of experience in running clinical trials across Scotland.

MND-SMART is funded by the Euan MacDonald Centre, substantial private donations, MND Scotland and the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

This article was published on: Wednesday, 13 January, 2021
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