A WELL-KNOWN Cumbrian campaigner has welcomed news of a new trial into a potential cure for Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's UK have announced it has committed £800,000 to plan a new trial for a treatment known as GDNF which stands for glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor.

It followed a groundbreaking trial that was the subject of a BBC Documentary entitled The Parkinson's Drug Trial: A Miracle Cure?

While the trial data proved inconclusive, many participants maintained it improved their quality of life, and have been campaigning for more research into the drug.

Parkinson's UK has been working with companies, researchers, and participants to find a way forward - and have now launched a new company, Vivifi Biotech, tasked with leading the planning and preparations needed to design a new trial.

Copeland's John Kane is the chairman of the West Cumbria branch of Parkinson's UK.

The 52-year-old, who was made an OBE for his fund-raising efforts in relation to Parkinson's Disease, was pleased with the news - but said more needed to be done to help the public understand the disease.

He said: "It's good news, but what worries me is they're pushing all the ime for a cure but we still don't know a cause.

"They need some early detection. I go round the care homes training the staff, and the numbers have gone up dramatically in the last few years. It's now the fastest growing type of neurological condition in the world."