Just seen this on Maria's blog! I've tidied up the translation a bit but I'm no Norwegian speaker so if anyone can do better, please do:
http://mariasmetode.no/2013/06/forskningsradet-norwegian-research-council-today/
Hooray! Good news! The Research Council has granted funding to the Phase 3 study at Haukeland Hospital today! This is a study to examine whether the results from previous studies are consistent. In previous studies, the researchers Dr. Fluge and Dr. Mella of the cancer ward at Haukeland Hospital found that 67% of ME patients had a good or moderately good effect of the immune drug Rituximab. We may face a medical breakthrough. Such findings have never been made in this field.
It is not yet announced how much funding the department at Haukeland Hospital has been assigned. At the website of the Research Council we can read that 40 million krone has been allocated across 10 projects.
Through MEandYou I have collected roughly 2.5 million krone ($430,500, £279,400, 328,800 Euros) in 90 days through social media and through a tremendous commitment worldwide. It's good to see that funding health authorities can no longer watch the sick, their friends, relatives and supporters give their own benefits and savings to fund research on their own disease.
I want to assure you that all the money you have given will go to Haukeland hospital and the scientists there, no matter what the outcome of the provisions taken by the Research Council and the amount given. I have great respect for all of you who have given of your savings or insurance to ensure further research into ME at Haukeland Hospital, and I long since established a contract with Haukeland, so that you can be completely safe. You will not feel cheated or deceived.
I spoke with Professor Mella today. The funding deal from the council will not be ready before January. With our funding, they are comfortable to start right now. Actually they need more funding than they receive from the council. Those of you who want to continute to donate, please do so. I also hope that those who have fundraised for Haukeland will also transfer the money to the scientists now.
This could be the beginning of a shift in the understanding of what ME is, how the disease should be treated and how it can be diagnosed. This could be the beginning of more prestige for researchers in this field, which will help recruit talented scientists, which in turn will lead to good-quality research - and not least, we will have findings that can actually help patients.
This again will stop the eternal round dance of stigmatization of sick patients, either the idea that patients are imagining their illness, or that they have a fashionable diagnosis. This could mean that sufferers worldwide can get the right treatment they need and are entitled to have.
Today we celebrate. We will be celebrating for a long time.
Congratulations, everyone, who has helped make the injustice and the need for research into ME so visible, that today we see the results of our work.
Cheers to all of us, The Knowledge Activists!
http://mariasmetode.no/2013/06/forskningsradet-norwegian-research-council-today/
Hooray! Good news! The Research Council has granted funding to the Phase 3 study at Haukeland Hospital today! This is a study to examine whether the results from previous studies are consistent. In previous studies, the researchers Dr. Fluge and Dr. Mella of the cancer ward at Haukeland Hospital found that 67% of ME patients had a good or moderately good effect of the immune drug Rituximab. We may face a medical breakthrough. Such findings have never been made in this field.
It is not yet announced how much funding the department at Haukeland Hospital has been assigned. At the website of the Research Council we can read that 40 million krone has been allocated across 10 projects.
Through MEandYou I have collected roughly 2.5 million krone ($430,500, £279,400, 328,800 Euros) in 90 days through social media and through a tremendous commitment worldwide. It's good to see that funding health authorities can no longer watch the sick, their friends, relatives and supporters give their own benefits and savings to fund research on their own disease.
I want to assure you that all the money you have given will go to Haukeland hospital and the scientists there, no matter what the outcome of the provisions taken by the Research Council and the amount given. I have great respect for all of you who have given of your savings or insurance to ensure further research into ME at Haukeland Hospital, and I long since established a contract with Haukeland, so that you can be completely safe. You will not feel cheated or deceived.
I spoke with Professor Mella today. The funding deal from the council will not be ready before January. With our funding, they are comfortable to start right now. Actually they need more funding than they receive from the council. Those of you who want to continute to donate, please do so. I also hope that those who have fundraised for Haukeland will also transfer the money to the scientists now.
This could be the beginning of a shift in the understanding of what ME is, how the disease should be treated and how it can be diagnosed. This could be the beginning of more prestige for researchers in this field, which will help recruit talented scientists, which in turn will lead to good-quality research - and not least, we will have findings that can actually help patients.
This again will stop the eternal round dance of stigmatization of sick patients, either the idea that patients are imagining their illness, or that they have a fashionable diagnosis. This could mean that sufferers worldwide can get the right treatment they need and are entitled to have.
Today we celebrate. We will be celebrating for a long time.
Congratulations, everyone, who has helped make the injustice and the need for research into ME so visible, that today we see the results of our work.
Cheers to all of us, The Knowledge Activists!