The Norwegian ME-association has now launched a website for a fundraising for the continuation of the Rituximab-study by Drs Mella and Fluge of Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen.

http://me-forskning.no/

Invest in ME wish to give this campaign our support and we will attempt to help as best we can, recognising how important this is for future research and developments of treatments for ME.

About this fundraising:

In October 2011 a very exciting research project was published in peer-reviewed,  open access journal, PLoS ONE.

Two Norwegian oncologists had, with immune modulating medicine given to ME-patients, seen a remarkable improvement in 2/3 of the patients in the study.

Was this the beginning of an actual medical treatment for this devastating disease?

For the first time in history this could seem so!

Before any final conclusion can be made, a larger study is needed to be done by the Norwegian oncologists.

Sadly they are lacking the funds to continue their work. Eager and hopeful patients all over the world are waiting for the final research project to be completed and final answers given.

Recently the Norwegian Research Council turned down their application for funding. The Norwegian ME Association has therefore taken matters into their own hands, and has started this fundraising in order to make sure that the research-project will continue.

When this goal has been accomplished, we would like to continue our fundraising so that we can support other biomedical research projects on ME in the future.

We are working on a payment system for our website, but for now, donations can be made to this bank account number:

IBAN NO67 1503 3204 334

BIC DNBANOKKXXX

Every contribution will be much appreciated.

Thank you!

Norwegian ME Association

Further reading:

A presentation of the Rituximab-study by Haukeland University Hospital where the research is taking place:

http://haukeland.no/aktuelt/tema/kronisk-utmattelsessyndrom-me/Sider/in-english.aspx

Article from BBC from about the study (Oct. 2011):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15401746

Further information on the Rituximab trial by RESEARCH 1ST + more relevant links in English

http://www.research1st.com/2011/10/19/rituximab-trial/

The publication in PLoS ONE from 2011 by the Norwegian oncologists and their team: