Two Malaysian medical centres conducting clinical trials for Duchenne disease

KOTA KINABALU: Clinical trials to treat a genetic disease known as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy are now being conducted at two medical centres in Malaysia.
According to Catherine Jayasuriya, founder of Coalition Duchenne, a global charity committed to raising awareness and funding treatments for the disease, the centres are Kuala Lumpur Hospital and University Malaya Medical Centre.
"(Currently) there is no cure for Duchenne and the journey to finding one starts with patients and families willing to participate in a clinical trial in these two medical centres that are recruiting Duchenne patients for clinical trials sponsored by a US-based biopharmaceutical company," she said.
She was speaking at the flagging off of the Coalition Duchenne's eighth Mount Kinabalu annual expedition here today by Deputy Chief Minister Christina Liew, who is also State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister.
Jayasuriya said this year's expedition was dedicated to raising awareness of the new opportunities for families to enrol in the clinical trials.
Some 20 participants from countries such as Malaysia, Denmark, United Kingdom, Morocco and Germany are taking part in the expedition from today until July 23 (Monday). — Bernama