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Jean-Luc Gay started the new year by sharing some very promising news with us and by summing up the therapy’s perspectives for 2011.

Hello everyone,

The Board of Administrators and I wish you a very happy new year 2011.  We thank all those who have worked toward developing the project of the Association : not only the  members,  particularly those who are actively involved, but also associations such as ALARME and APICIL who help fund the project.

The meeting which took place in Paris in December attests to our making headway.   Accompanied by Dr. Antonio Reis, neurosurgeon,  and Dr. Maquestre, from the Marseille research team, we met with  Mr. Frémont, one of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s advisers and with Pr. Arnold Munnich, his scientific adviser.
We presented our project, discussed our efforts and explained the feasibility of a clinical trial with Neurogel.  Such a trial is essential  in a field where there is currently no treatment.

After listening to our arguments and request for financial and medical support, Pr. Munnich suggested the following process :

-       Complete the preclinical study led by Pr. Decherchi in Marseille, in order to have a publication on the Neurogel manufactured by Dr. Pinet.
-       Convince a hospital medical team (CHU, Clinical Investigation Center) to partner with us. 

Public funding (through the  Ministry of Health Hospital Clinical Research Program (PHRC) andNational Research Agency) cannot be obtained without this procedure.

Pr. Munnich contacted on our behalf Pr.Saillant  from the ICM (Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epiniere =  Brain and Spine Institute.) because they could offer their support after examining the  « Neurogel Dossier. »  As a result, Pr. Saillant put us in touch with their  Scientific Director and Chairman,  Pr. Bertrand Fontaine, who will be evaluating our project.

Although this meeting did not offer an immediate and direct solution,  being granted an interview, obtaining direct contact and guidance by the Elysee  is definitely a positive development  for the future.

 As I previously  wrote, to conduct a clinical trial under optimal conditions,  the Association must surround itself with professionals.  To this end, we have sought the expertise of MEDPASS,  a company specialized in the European market for medical devices.

MEDPASS  wrote up a model of scientific audit for Neurogel in the form of three summarized documents that explain the invention itself, the work accomplished so far and  the work which still needs to be accomplished to comply with clinical regulations. 

We provided these documents to the Garches  CIC IT - Clinical Investigation Center-  They are very interested in the performance of Neurogel, and we  will be meeting with their officials soon.

We are in touch with other  institutions and are pursuing our efforts with private companies.

2011 started with great news and we anticipate it will continue.  I hope to be able to announce the end of Dr. Decherchi’s pre-clinical trial  soon – which will allow him to proceed with a publication and will allow us to proceed with our official request for the authorization to conduct a clinical trial.

Of course, fundraising remains our priority.

Till next time then.  I will keep you posted of the progress of our project.

Jean-Luc Gay
Neurogel  en Marche, President