Innovation fund supports video game to help stroke patients regain movement

A video game designed to rehabilitate stroke patients, gene therapy for a form of blindness, and an implantable device to monitor pulmonary hypertension are some of the projects being supported by the Health Innovation Challenge Fund.

The fund was set up by the Department of Health and the Wellcome Trust in 2009 to stimulate the development of products and interventions for possible use in the NHS.1 So far around £55m (€68m; $87m) has been allocated, and there are 25 projects at various stages of development.

Speaking at a press conference in London on 16 May, Sally Davies, chief medical officer for England, said, “We are targeting areas of poorly met or unmet need. The fund is focusing on projects that will come to patients within three to five years and wouldn’t classically get research funding.”

The video game project is being led by Janet Eyre, …