Invest in ME (IiME) is organising and funding a UK clinical treatment trial of rituximab in patients with ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis). Rituximab acts by depleting B-cells and is used in therapy for blood cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and some other autoimmune diseases. It helped 67% of ME patients who took part in trials in Norway to such a remarkable extent that the Norwegian Health Directorate apologised for the way ME patients have previously been treated. Even better results were found in follow-up studies, with higher doses giving a more prolonged effect. A Phase III multi-centre trial is underway in Norway, thanks to a successful fundraising campaign run by patients.
The first phase of the IiME UK rituximab research was a study of B-cells in ME patients compared with healthy volunteers, recommended by Invest in ME Research Advisor, Professor Jonathan Edwards, as prerequisite to a UK clinical trial, and led by Dr. Jo Cambridge at University College London (UCL) in collaboration with the rituximab researchers in Norway and other countries. The first paper by the UCL team has now been published and the work continues, thanks to IiME and the charity's supporters fundraising, sponsoring & donating. The UK rituximab clinical trial is planned to take place in Norwich, the hub of the IiMER Centre of Excellence for ME.
Your donations to this page go to a special IiME Rituximab Research Fund, separate from the IiME Biomedical Research Fund, which is being used for other biomedical research projects. IiME is run by volunteers. There are no salaries and no funds will be used for charity admin. All donations will be used in full to finance the rituximab research. For text donations, text the code RTUX66 followed by the amount (£1-£5 or £10) to 70070. Find out more & keep up to date with news at: http://www.ukrituximabtrial.org/
Let's do it for ME is an awareness and fundraising campaign run by people with myalgic encephalomyelitis in support of the work of Invest in ME. Find out more at: ldifme.org or email us at: fundraising4me@gmail.com
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