Latest news with #PeterNolan
BreakingNews.ie
20-05-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Judge issues warrant for 'in hiding' jockey after he fails to do community service for drugs charge
A Judge has ordered an arrest warrant to be issued for a Co Donegal horse-racing jockey who is 'in hiding' over a drug debt after he failed to complete a community service order. Oran Brown was convicted in court after being caught with over €11,000 worth of drugs at his home in June 2020. Advertisement In 2023, the Lifford sportsman was ordered to do 240 hours of community service after gardaí raided his home and found drugs and cash. Last month, Donegal Circuit Court heard that he has been unable to undertake that part of his sentence. The case was adjourned to today to see if Brown could be contacted to explain why he had not undertaken the community service in lieu of the prison sentence. Brown's barrister, Mr Peter Nolan, explained that his client has been in hiding over a drug debt. Advertisement 'Oran Brown has an individual looking for him to pay a drug debt. 'He is in hiding. He can't comply with the community service order as he is in fear of third parties,' he said. The case was brought back before the court by the Probation Service due to Brown's non-compliance with the order. The case was mentioned again on Tuesday, but the Probation Service told the court that they had made 'numerous efforts' to contact Brown but had still not heard back from him. Advertisement A spokesperson for the service said they had tried to reach the accused by phone and had sent him letters since last November, but had still not heard back from him. They also confirmed that Brown had not completed any of the 240 community service hours imposed in lieu of time in jail. Judge John Aylmer said he was satisfied that Brown was aware of the order and issued a warrant. Previously, Brown was sentenced to a three-and-a-half-year term in prison, which was suspended for three and a half years, for the possession of cannabis for the purpose of selling or supplying to others. Advertisement He was also ordered to complete 240 hours of community service in lieu of 6 months in prison on a charge of the unlawful possession of cocaine. Gardai, armed with a search warrant, swooped on Brown's home at Collate, Lifford on June 25th, 2020. Detectives seized €8,668 worth of cannabis and cocaine with a street value of €2,504.81. Some of the cannabis was found in deal bags. A Zopiclone tablet, valued at €2, was also located in the raid. Advertisement A grinder, weighing scales and a quantity of Ziploc bags were also found. Quantities of Diazepam and Xanax were found in a Tommy Hilfiger bag in the property, while gardaí observed a line of suspected cocaine on top of a dresser. A quantity of cocaine was found inside a safe, which also contained €7,225 and £2,480 sterling in cash. Brown was searched, and a cylinder containing cannabis and a grinder was located on his person. Almost £9,000 in cash was found inside a safe and, after being arrested, Brown told gardaí he 'smoked a lot of weed and sniffed cocaine'. He added, "I won't lie, I sold a few bags of weed too." Brown said the cash was given to him by his parents and grandparents for his birthday the month before. He refused to give gardaí the PIN for his mobile phone as he said there was 'stuff on the phone' that he didn't want them to see. Detective Garda Michelle Kelly said gardaí were unable to access data from the phone as the PIN was not provided. In court in 2023, Mr Nolan said his client, who he said was a 'conditional apprentice' at the time, began taking cocaine 'to keep the weight stabilised'. 'Stupidity led him to these circumstances,' Mr Nolan said. At the time of sentencing, Judge Aylmer said, 'It was clear from all the paraphernalia found on the premises that there was a significant amount of dealing going on. 'This is an unusual case where he deserves a second chance. It is with some hesitation, but it is a case that it may be dealt with better on a non-custodial basis given all of the features."
Associated Press
28-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
BlackfinBio Announces FDA Clearance to Initiate Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial for Novel AAV Gene Therapy BFB-101 to Treat the Rare Neurological Disease Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, Type 47 (SPG47)
CHESHIRE, United Kingdom, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BlackfinBio Ltd, a clinical stage gene therapy company focused on the development of treatments for rare neurological diseases, announces today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of its novel adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy, BFB-101, in children with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, Type 47 (SPG47). The trial will be conducted in the U.S. at Boston Children's Hospital and is expected to commence recruiting by the end of 2025. The FDA has granted an orphan drug designation (ODD) and rare pediatric disease designation (RPDD) to BFB-101 for the treatment of SPG47. SPG47 is a rare, autosomal-recessive, neurological disorder characterised by progressive lower-limb spasticity, developmental delays and intellectual disability in children. It is caused by deleterious changes in the AP4B1 gene. Currently, there is no cure or effective treatment available for this devastating condition. BFB-101 has been designed specifically to address the underlying genetic cause of SPG47 by delivering a functional copy of the AP4B1 gene, with the goal of halting or reversing disease progression. Preclinical results with BFB-101 have demonstrated promising activity and safety (1). The Phase 1/2 clinical trial is a single-center open-label study with a primary objective to assess the safety and efficacy of a single injection into the cerebrospinal fluid at the base of the brainstem near the spinal cord, termed an 'ICM' administration. This type of delivery generally allows for rapid and efficient delivery of agents to the central nervous system. BFB-101 will be administered by ICM in up to five children with AP4B1-associated SPG47. The secondary objectives will aim to evaluate the impact of BFB-101 on motor function, development and health-related quality of life. 'The FDA's clearance of the BFB-101 IND is an important milestone for our rare neurological disease program and the company. We look forward to initiating enrollment in the U.S. later this year and are working closely with the investigator team at Boston Children's Hospital to evaluate the therapeutic utility of this gene therapy in children with SPG47,' said Peter Nolan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BlackfinBio Ltd. 'We are proud to be leading this important clinical trial at Boston Children's Hospital, bringing forward a precision medicine approach for children affected by SPG47. As clinicians, we see firsthand the impact of this disorder and the urgency for effective treatments. BFB-101 represents a promising gene therapy candidate, and this trial is a critical step toward delivering meaningful change for patients and families affected by AP-4-associated hereditary spastic paraplegia and related conditions,' said Dr. Darius Ebrahimi-Fakhari, M.D., Ph.D., Boston Children's Hospital (Principal Investigator). 'Having overseen this therapeutic innovation from discovery stage, it is a huge source of excitement to reach this important IND milestone. Given the incredibly high unmet need for children with this devastating condition, we are on a mission at BlackfinBio to transform treatment options for these young lives and make a real impact to the lives of their families,' added Professor Mimoun Azzouz, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of BlackfinBio Ltd. Reference: (1): Pre-clinical development of AP4B1 gene replacement therapy for hereditary spastic paraplegia type 47 Disclosure Statement: Dr. Darius Ebrahimi-Fakhari has consulted for BlackfinBio. About BFB-101 BFB-101 aims to address the underlying genetic cause of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, Type 47 (SPG47) by delivering a functional copy of the AP4B1 gene, with the goal of halting or reversing disease progression. It is administered via the brain as a single lifetime dose and has shown potential in restoring AP-4 function in vitro and improving motor function in AP4B1 mutant mice. BFB-101 was originally developed by Professor Mimoun Azzouz at the University of Sheffield with the support of Cure AP-4 ( ), LifeArc ( ). This project has also received partial funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 945473 to support AAV9 capsid synthesis for immune response study. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and EFPIA. The FDA has granted an orphan drug designation (ODD) and rare pediatric disease designation (RPDD) to BFB-101 for the treatment of SPG47. About BlackfinBio Ltd BlackfinBio is a clinical stage gene therapy company focused on the development of treatments for rare neurological diseases. The pipeline comprises BFB-101, a clinical stage AP4B1 replacement AAV gene therapy for spastic paraplegia 47 – an ultra-rare genetic neurological disease for which no treatment currently exists. BFB-201 is a preclinical stage gene therapy to treat several rare dopamine deficiency disorders. For more information, please visit and follow us on LinkedIn. For media enquiries, please contact: BlackfinBio Peter Nolan, Chief Executive Officer [email protected] Scius Communications Katja Stout +44 778 943 5990 [email protected] Daniel Gooch +44 7747 875479 [email protected]
