Man living with inherited heart condition welcomes injectable cure

A 24-year-old man living with an inherited heart condition has welcomed a “defining moment” after it was announced an injectable cure could be available within a few years.

Josh Moncrieff, from Dundee, was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy after he had to go to A&E with chest pains when he was 18 years old.

Within 3 months, he was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), which helps control any potentially life-threatening heart rhythms .

It has now been revealed that an injectable cure for the inherited condition, that affects one in 500 people in Scotland, could be available within a few years after an international team of researchers were announced as the winners of the British Heart Foundation’s Big Beat Challenge.

The £30m global award, given to CureHeart, is one of the largest non-commercial grants given and presents a “once in a generation opportunity” to provide those who suffer from the condition.

Josh says that to find a cure would be “amazing”.

He said: “I think from my perspective, it’s really important to stress that there is life after diagnosis.

“At first, I was told I couldn’t do sports but now my condition has been closely monitored and because we know so much more as a result of research, my doctors say I can go to the gym, go swimming and play a bit of non-competitive football, which has been great.

“It changed things for me, having that release and being able to do the things that I love.

“To be able to find a cure would be amazing.

“Then we wouldn’t just be managing symptoms.

“We would be giving people hope.

“That would be incredible and that’s why research and this project is so important.”

BHF Professor Hugh Watkins, the lead investigator of CureHeart, said: “This is our once-in-generation opportunity to relieve families of the constant worry of sudden death, heart failure and potential need for a heart transplant.

“After 30 years of research, we have discovered many of the genes and specific genetic faults responsible for different cardiomyopathies, and how they work.

“We believe that we will have a gene therapy ready to start testing in clinical trials in the next five years.

“The £30m from the BHF’s Big Beat Challenge will give us the platform to turbo-charge our progress in finding a cure so the next generation of children diagnosed with genetic cardiomyopathies can live long, happy and productive lives.”