Nutricia announces recipients of first Metabolics Research Fund

May 16 2017

€170,000 Fund to stimulate nutrition-related research for inborn errors of metabolism will be made available in 2017 under the same conditions

Nutricia today announced that the following institutions have been awarded grants from the 2016 Nutricia Metabolics Research Fund:

• €50,000 to Charles Dent Metabolic Unit, London, UK for research into “Outcomes in adults with early-treated PKU”
• €20,000 to Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany for research into “Impact of liver transplantation in MSUD”
• €20,000 to Department of Health Sciences, San Paolo Hospital, University of Milan, Italy for research into “Carbohydrate quality and metabolic profile in children with PKU”
• €20,000 to Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht, Netherlands for research into “MCT supplementation in LCAD”
• €20,000 to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK for research into “Phenotypes and nutritional management in UDP-galactose-4-epimerase (GALE) deficiency galactosemia”
• €10,000 to The Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland for research into “Energy requirements and glucose monitoring in GSD type1 patients taking corn starch”.

Nutricia established the Fund in 2016 to stimulate research related to nutrition and/or dietary management of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM). All healthcare professionals active in the field of IEM were eligible to apply to the Fund and applications were received from 60 researchers spanning 19 countries. A Scientific Advisory Board composed of a group of senior metabolic experts reviewed and scored the submissions against set criteria

“Our purpose is to pioneer nutritional discoveries for longer, healthier lives,’’ comments Sandra Giffen, Global Director of Medical Affairs for paediatric nutrition at Nutricia. “The overwhelming response by professionals to this unique offer indicates there is a clear unmet need for research funding in this highly specialised area. We are proud to have a role in enabling advances in nutrition-related research for the dietary management of inborn errors of metabolism.’’

Nutricia has been committed to the dietary management of patients with IEM for over 50 years. Nutricia seeks to deliver the best possible care through products and services that improve the quality of patients’ lives, and by close collaboration with healthcare professionals specialised in the management of patients with inherited metabolic diseases. Close collaboration with healthcare professionals has always been fundamental to Nutricia’s approach to care, and the Nutricia Metabolics Research Fund extends and continues this cooperation.

In order to further encourage nutrition-related research, the Nutricia Metabolics Research Fund will make €170,000 available in 2017 under the same application conditions.