Gene therapy boom

April 4th 2005

British authorities approved a total of eleven trials of gene therapy last year, it was announced yesterday.

Patients are testing therapies for leukaemia, breast cancer, prostate cancer, brain cancer and advanced tumours.

There are also trials for heart disease and one for HIV infection.

Details of the trials were revealed in the annual reported of the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee.

The GTAC said that more than 70 per cent of trials in total involved cancer.

It said that more than 40 per cent of all European clinical trials for gene therapy were being carried out in Britain.

Health minister Lord Warner said: "Gene therapy has the potential to improve the lives of thousands of patients.

"The government is committed to ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of innovative medical research and has provided the funding towards new gene therapy clinical trials for inherited diseases such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, cystic fibrosis and childhood blindness.

"These trials are likely to be considered by GTAC in 2005/6."

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