Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page. To find out more about our campaign, please watch our short video (click on the screenshot in the 'Gallery' below). 

Several years ago our scientists (led by Professor David Allsop) at Lancaster University developed a drug that blocks the formation of the 'senile plaques' that are found in the brains of victims of Alzheimer's disease/dementia. Our drug blocks these plaques from forming, along with their toxic effect on brain cells. It is highly stable in the body and we know that it also preserves memory!

A North West based Clinical Research organisation (MAC plc) have agreed to progress our treatment towards  human clinical trials, and although this is good news indeed, there are still a lot of experiments that need completing. 

And so, we need to raise funds to ensure that this laboratory work is carried out, and our drug quickly gets to the point where it can be given to people who are experiencing the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. It is estimated that about 850,000 people in the UK suffer from dementia today, and that number is only going to increase as the population gets older.

Therefore, we are launching a major fund-raising campaign to raise money which will ultimately get the drug into human clinical trials! 

Prof David Allsop says, "With your help, we will carry on the experiments needed to take our drug closer to the point where it can be used by people with Alzheimer's disease. We are committed in developing this desperately needed drug to help people with dementia, but we need your help to raise the funds needed to get this drug to Phase I Human Clinical Trials and beyond!" 

Costings : Work that may potentially be funded by the Defying Dementia campaign would aim to get the product suitable for Phase 1 human clinical trials. This would include: investigating the optimum route of administration £14,000, toxicity testing on cells and drug metabolising enzymes £8,000, investigating whether the compound works to remove plaques already present £3000, testing to see if the compound has any toxic side effects on the major organ systems in the body £10,000, potential behavioural tests on memory processes £20,000, and also the added costs of laboratory consumables, although the largest expense would be the necessary pharmacokinetics and biodistribution studies estimated at a cost of £30,000. 

To find out more about our drug visit our website:  www.lancaster.ac.uk/defyingdementia 

If you have any queries regarding donating, please contact Laura Slater on 01524 592376 or email friends@lancaster.ac.uk

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the lab!

Thank you!