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A Dunedin-based biotechnology company says it is on the brink of developing a therapy for the debilitating muscle-wasting disease, muscular dystrophy.
It is a disease that affects around 3,500 male children at a young age, leading to wheelchair confinement and premature death.
Orico Limited spokesman Dr Rob Bower says they have developed a ground-breaking new therapy that will significantly reduce the symptoms and improve the quality of life for sufferers.
He says MD is a genetic disease and cannot be cured, but trials on mice indicate that symptoms can be alleviated substantially.
Dr Bower says they are now going through pre-clinical development before beginning trials on humans.
- Newstalk ZB
