Bladder cancer, including papillary tumours, is the ninth most common cancer type worldwide Researchers from ETH Zurich and University Hospital Basel have revealed new insights for cancer research when focusing on mechanical changes in tumour tissue after investigating the early stages of bladder cancer. Researchers aimed to understand what governs the direction in which bladder…
The progressive neurological condition affects more than six million people worldwide Researchers from the University of Cambridge have designed and used an artificial-intelligence (AI)-based approach to advance drug design and accelerate the search for Parkinson’s disease (PD) treatments. Published in the journal Nature Chemical, researchers used AI to identify compounds that block the clumping or…
An estimated 50% of human genes follow a circadian cycle, many of which are active in the liver A new study conducted by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has revealed that circadian variations in liver function play an important role in influencing drugs’ effectiveness. Published in Sciences Advances, researchers found that many…
GPT-4 is trained on datasets to offer eye-related advice, diagnosis and management suggestions A new study led by researchers from the University of Cambridge has revealed that an artificial intelligence (AI) model can more accurately assess eye problems compared to specialistic doctors and provides advice. Results published in the journal PLOS Digital Health showed that…
The British In Vitro Diagnostic Association has made Helen Dent Chief Executive The British In Vitro Diagnostic Association (BIVDA) has appointed Helen Dent as Chief Executive, following a successful period as Interim Chief Executive. Helen will lead BIVDA in championing the medical diagnostics industry to politicians, policymakers, media and relevant stakeholders, and in supporting members…
Bristol Myers Squibb has made Guy Oliver General Manager, UK and Ireland Bristol Myers Squibb has announced the appointment of Guy Oliver as General Manager for the company in the UK and Ireland. In this role, he will lead the UK and Ireland commercial affiliate as it enters a period of renewal, transforming its product…
Chronic liver disease and associated cirrhosis account for one million deaths every year Boehringer Ingelheim and Ochre Bio have partnered to discover and develop novel, first-in-class regenerative treatments for chronic liver disease (CLD), including late-stage metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) cirrhosis. The partnership aligns with Boehringer’s drive to improve outcomes for patients living with interconnected cardiovascular,…
The paper identifies the roles and differences between LARP4A and LARP4B in sarcoma and carcinoma cancers A Medical Research Council doctoral training partnership (MRC-DTP) student from King’s College London (KCL) has revealed new potential avenues for cancer therapies through RNA-binding proteins in a new paper published in Cell Press. As part of Jen Coleman’s PhD…
The key to a culture-conscious pharma partnership Partnerships are not just about expanding our reach and product portfolio, but also about creating a powerful engine for innovation and delivering better healthcare solutions for people affected by illness. While the complex nuances of these relationships are not to be underestimated, we believe that by prioritising cultural…
The new method could help to prevent severe side effects caused by enantiomer drugs Scientists from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Chemistry have revealed a new sustainable method of manufacturing complex molecules that could reduce waste produced during drug production. The method published in Nature Chemistry could help to prevent severe side effects caused…
The tool will help people find out about clinical trials for myeloma, MGUS, SMM and AL amyloidosis Myeloma Patients Europe (MPE) has launched the English version of the Myeloma and AL Amyloidosis European Clinical Trial Navigator to facilitate the search of clinical trials for patients, carers and advocates in Europe. The online search tool will…
X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the second most common form of the rare peripheral neuropathy disease The CMT Research Foundation (CMTRF) has invested in a study being led by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago to investigate whether a commercially available drug could potentially treat X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT1X). The study will determine whether the…
According to the World Health Organization, CVDs are responsible for an estimated 17.9 million deaths every year Researchers from the universities of Oxford, Nottingham and King’s College London (KCL) have shown that a new heart disease calculator can accurately predict an individual’s ten-year risk of cardiovascular diseases and identify high-risk patients. Published in Nature Medicine,…
The progressive neurodegenerative condition is the most common form of dementia Researchers from University College London (UCL) have begun recruiting volunteers to assess the link between navigation and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) using a virtual reality (VR) game. Funded by the Wellcome Trust, participants’ navigation will be assessed using the VR game to try and spot…
Severe acute malnutrition is responsible for nearly half of all child deaths globally and affects 17 million children annually A trial led by researchers at Queen Mary University London, in partnership with two research institutes in Zambia and Zimbabwe, has identified the mechanisms that contribute to the long-term impacts of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and…
The rise of pharmacies and their new role in primary healthcare
The neurodegenerative condition currently affects more than 944,000 people living in the UK Researchers from the Universities of Manchester, Nottingham, Edinburgh and Dundee have revealed in a study that antipsychotic use in dementia patients is associated with higher risks of a wide range of serious health outcomes. The study was published in The BMJ and…
The launch is part of the NIHRs £42m funding to establish 14 new HRCs across England Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College London (KCL) have launched a new HealthTech Research Centre (HRC) for cardiovascular and respiratory medicine. The new centre is one of 14 new HRCs across England that received a total of £42m…
Our future robot overlords are playing the long game
Both will develop cancer vaccine candidates in selected haematological and solid tumour indications CureVac and the University of Texas’s MD Anderson Cancer Center have announced a co-development and licensing agreement to develop novel messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)-based cancer vaccines. The strategic collaboration will focus on the development of differentiated cancer vaccine candidates in selected haematological…
Involving 152 patients, the SENTINEL trial aims to cut lung transplant rejection by up to 50% A new clinical trial being led by the University of Oxford’s Surgical Trial Units in collaboration with NHS Blood and Transplant and five UK lung transplant centres will investigate whether skin patches can be used as an early warning…
Breast cancer was responsible for 2.3 million diagnoses and 670,000 deaths globally in 2022 A new report led by the University of Cambridge and supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has highlighted inequalities among people living with breast cancer. Published by the Lancet Commission, the report sets out several recommendations…
The Tyche model could help clinicians and researchers capture crucial information in images Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and Massachusetts General Hospital have introduced a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool to capture the uncertainty in a medical image. Funded by the National Institute of Health,…
The findings suggest why children tend to experience milder symptoms compared to older adults Researchers from University College London (UCL) and the Wellcome Sanger Institute have revealed how specific nasal cells differ in children and elderly people when protecting against COVID-19. Published in Nature Microbiology, the study used cells donated from healthy participants from Great…
Both companies will facilitate career progression while advancing the life sciences industry The European Laboratory Research and Innovation Group (ELRIG) UK has announced its partnership with SRG to support life sciences professionals in advancing their careers in drug discovery. Both will help facilitate career progression as well as support the growth of the life sciences…
Solid organ transplantation is used to treat end-stage organ failure, including the kidneys Bio-Rad Laboratories and Oncocyte Corporation have partnered to develop and commercialise solid tissue transplant monitoring products for researchers and laboratories to “advance science and save lives”. The collaboration will utilise Bio-Rad’s Droplet Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR) technology. Solid organ transplantation is…
Liver cirrhosis, caused by long-term liver damage, is estimated to affect around 100 million people worldwide Researchers from University College London (UCL) have invented and tested innovative carbon beads that could help restore a healthy gut microbiome as well as reduce the progression of liver disease. The study, published in Gut and funded via the…
Approximately 14% of the competition-submitted proposals were selected to receive funding Nine researchers from University College London (UCL) have secured nearly £560m in funding from the European Research Council’s (ERC) Advanced Grants to advance researchers in fields including biochemistry, nanotechnologies and regenerative medicine. Approximately 14% of the competition-submitted proposals were selected for funding, comprising 255…
Affecting over 500,000 people in the UK, IBD comprises Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis The study, published in Nature Immunology, could help identify new ways to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Collectively known as IBD, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are incurable conditions that involve excessive inflammation in the gut and affect over 500,000 people…
Solid tumour cancers account for 90% of adult human cancers and 50% of childhood malignancies Bio-Rad Laboratories and Alleghany Health Network (AHN) have partnered to advance clinical evidence for monitoring solid tumour cancers using Bio-Rad’s Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) technology. The collaboration will use ddPCR technology for molecular residual disease (MRD) monitoring of patients across…
NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer and is responsible for up to 85% of all cases Researchers from the Francis Crick Institute and University College London have revealed that examining the immune cells in the environment surrounding a tumour could help predict cancer progression and treatment response. The study was published in…
In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, transformation is key to success and medical affairs teams play a vital role in making it happen. But as therapies grow in complexity and the number of stakeholders increase, the need for medical affairs teams to effectively communicate the value of their work has never been greater. In a…
Both partners’ nuclear research facilities will be used to develop new health interventions King’s College London’s (KCL) Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences (BMEIS) and McMaster University have partnered to advance nuclear medicine research and education. The collaboration will support the discovery and development of new health interventions and aim to deliver unique learning opportunities for…
RTIs account for around 60% of global antibiotic prescribing and are a key driver of AMR Researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Bath, King’s College London and the University Medical Center Utrecht have called for a reduction in the use of repeat antibiotic prescriptions in primary care for the same respiratory tract infection (RTI) episode,…
Prostate cancer is currently the second-biggest cause of death for men in the UK Researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Oxford and Cambridge have revealed that a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test for prostate cancer has a small impact on reducing deaths and can lead to overdiagnosis and missed early detection of aggressive forms of…
The most common form of cancer in men is responsible for 12,000 deaths every year in the UK A clinical trial led by researchers from University College London (UCL) and University College London Hospitals NHS Trust Foundation (UCLH) has revealed that removing a step from a three-part MRI scan could make prostate cancer diagnosis quicker,…
Both will validate the clinical performance of two new diagnostic tests for regulatory submission Culmination Bio has announced a partnership with BillionToOne to develop and advance diagnostic tests in oncology that are accessible to all. Both companies will work together to facilitate the development and validation of robust and impactful oncology diagnostics. According to the…
Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Convergence Institute have revealed promising results of a personalised vaccine for liver cancer in a clinical trial. Results from the study were published in Nature Medicine and were recently presented at the American…
The project aims to advance therapeutics for tuberculosis, malaria and hepatitis C in LMICs A research project led by the University of Liverpool has been awarded over £6m by Unitaid, a global health initiative to prevent, diagnose and treat major diseases in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and to advance long-acting therapeutics to treat or…
Around three million people in the UK were estimated to be living with cancer in 2022 Alliance Healthcare has announced it has opened access to UK pharmacies of its ‘Not Normal for You?’ (NNFY) cancer symptom referral scheme to allow pharmacists to refer patients showing potential cancer symptoms to their GPs. The expansion follows the…
Affecting 80,000 people in England, 12% of brain tumour patients survive beyond five years of diagnosis myTomorrows has announced a new partnership with a UK-based charity, brainstrust, to support individuals living with brain cancer. The partnership will help equip patients with knowledge of relevant treatment options, participation in clinical trials and access to pre-approved drugs,…
Hoxa9 and b-catenin molecules are a rare population of self-renewing HSCs found in bone marrow Researchers from King’s College London’s (KCL) Comprehensive Cancer Centre have identified a key mechanism that governs how bone marrow stem cells work, which could potentially lead to new therapeutic pathways. The findings from the study will help researchers further understand…
The fatal, progressive neurological condition currently affects around 5,000 people in the UK Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Aberdeen have revealed that an aptamer (biological molecules) tool can successfully detect early signs of motor neurone disease (MND). Published in Acta Neuropathologica, the aptamer was collaboratively developed by scientists at the…
The project will assist researchers and companies in training the technology for healthcare settings A project being led by King’s College London (KCL) has received funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) totalling £100,000 to create a platform to boost artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted healthcare for cancer diagnosis. The PharosAI project will develop…
The progressive neurodegenerative disease is estimated to affect 24 million people globally Researchers from the University of British Columbia in Canada have revealed that a form of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can be transmissible via bone marrow transplants. Published in Stem Cell Reports, researchers believe that amyloid build-up in the brain in AD can be caused…
The third most common and serious form of cancer affects over 43,000 people every year in the UK In partnership between The Royal Marsden and Guardant Health, researchers have developed a new liquid biopsy test to benefit thousands of lung cancer patients. The state-of-the-art circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) test, Marsden360, is set to speed up…
Two out of three people with the neurodegenerative condition experienced delirium in hospital Researchers from Newcastle University have revealed that people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are more likely to experience delirium while in hospital, resulting in confused thinking and a lack of awareness. Results from the study funded by Parkinson’s UK could lead to…
The genetic condition affects one in 279 people in England and significantly increases cancer risk Researchers from the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), in collaboration with the National Disease Registration Service, the NHS Genomic Medicine Service Alliances and the NHS Regional Clinical Genetics Services, have set up the UK’s first-ever comprehensive database registry for Lynch…
Amylyx has appointed Andrew Caldwell as General Manager UK and Ireland Amylyx has announced the appointment of Andrew Caldwell as General Manager UK and Ireland. He joins the company with more than 30 years of life sciences industry experience including a decade spent in the commercialisation of rare and specialised disease therapies in the UK and Ireland. Andrew has previously…
Paul Adams is new Chief Executive Officer of LloydsPharmacy Clinical Homecare Paul Adams has been announced as the new Chief Executive Officer of LloydsPharmacy Clinical Homecare, having joined at the end of last year. This strategic move is poised to reshape the company’s position within the market to positively impact the landscape of clinical homecare delivery in…
Besins has appointed Irina Spirieva as General Manager for UK and Ireland Besins Healthcare has announced the appointment of Irina Spirieva as its new General Manager for the UK and Ireland. Irina joins the company after a period of significant growth and commitment to invest considerable resources to upscale the manufacturing and supply of its medicines to meet…
Healthcare agencies can submit their entries free of charge with a deadline of 30 April The 2024 edition of PMLiVE’s T40 list of creative agencies working on advertising, branding, creative and design projects in the UK healthcare sector has opened for submissions. Entries for the fifth edition of the list, which will give an indication…
Set to open in 2032, the RUEDI facility is funded by the UKRI’s recent infrastructure fund worth £388m The University of Liverpool has announced that it will be leading a national research facility worth £125m to drive scientific discovery and advance technologies as part of the UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) infrastructure fund worth £388m.…
The self-replicating mRNA molecule could be used in cancer and potentially a broad range of other diseases Strand Therapeutics, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) spinout, has developed a new class of advanced mRNA molecules for more targeted and powerful treatments for cancer. The new class of mRNA molecules is designed to sense what type…
PhaSER will provide 8HUM mouse models for the TDI to accelerate a pipeline of novel therapeutic targets PhaSER Biomedical has announced its long-term partnership with the Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutic Discovery Institute (TDI) to advance the institute’s pre-clinical drug discovery research. Based in the US, the TDI comprises the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Rockefeller University…
The progressive and incurable brain disorder currently affects approximately 100 patients worldwide LifeArc has announced that it has funded a pivotal clinical trial at the University of Cambridge for £750,000 to re-purpose a UK-licensed medicine to treat the ultra-rare genetic disease neuroferritinopathy. The recently launched DefINe trial aims to stop the progression of the disease…
Ipsen has appointed Ioana Parsons as General Manager UK & Ireland Ipsen has announced the appointment of Ioana Parsons as General Manager of the company’s UK & Ireland affiliate. She joins from Ipsen Poland, where she has been General Manager for the past three years. As well as becoming UK & I General Manager, Ioana will act as Head of…
Clinical trials, the cornerstone of medical advancement, have stood largely unchanged over the past two decades. An evolution has begun, however, indicating a future where patient-centricity and technological innovation reign supreme—which we are already beginning to see with the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in clinical trials. Traditionally, trials have targeted broad…
Estimated to affect 2.5 million people in the US, synucleinopathies comprise four neurodegenerative disorders Neurologists from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have revealed that a simple skin biopsy test could detect abnormal amounts of alpha-synuclein, a key biomarker of Parkinson’s disease (PD), as well as other neurodegenerative disorders. Published in the Journal of…
LDHA and GOT1 enzymes successfully targeted and halted energy production in hard-to-reach cancer cells Researchers from the Francis Crick Institute have revealed how cancer cells survive after being cut off from a supply of oxygen, which could potentially help prevent cancer from becoming resistant to therapy. Published in the EMBO Journal, the study revealed that…
Unleashing the potential of pharmacies through Pharmacy First
Dementia is estimated to affect 850,000 people in the UK and costs the nation around £23bn a year Innovate UK has awarded ten new projects over £6m in funding to identify, develop and commercialise biomarker clinical tools and technologies for dementia and neurodegeneration. Through Innovate UK’s Small Business Research Initiative, the competition will aid in…
These types of conditions are responsible for 25% of all UK deaths and affect 7.6 million people nationally The British Heart Foundation (BHF), the Dutch Heart Foundation and the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research have awarded four international research teams £4.7m for research in heart and circulatory diseases. Over four years, researchers from the UK,…
We need more women in pharma and life sciences
The globally fast-growing progressive neurological condition affects around 153,000 people in the UK Parkinson’s UK has announced that it is funding four new research projects, totalling £446,305, to explore ways to better manage Parkinson’s disease (PD) symptoms and improve everyday life for patients. Focusing on cutting-edge technologies, the new projects aim to tackle some of…
The bacterial infection transmitted by ticks affects nearly half a million people in the US every year Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Helsinki in Finland have discovered a protein found in human sweat that can protect against Lyme disease. As published in Nature Communications, around one-third of the population…
Rare kidney diseases are a group of conditions which account for over 5% of people living with chronic kidney disease A new study led by University College London (UCL) and the UK Kidney Association has suggested that treatments for rare diseases could significantly reduce the burden of kidney disease for patients and the NHS. Published…
In 2021, neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, affected approximately 3.4 billion people globally In a new study funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, results published in the Lancet Neurology have determined that neurological conditions are currently the leading cause of ill health worldwide. Results showed that the biggest contributors to neurological health loss…
The fatal motor neurone disease currently does not have a cure available to treat patients The ALS Association and myTomorrows have partnered to improve the accessibility of future clinical trials for patients living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The aim of the partnership is to ensure that patients living with the condition and physicians are…
The SOL3D pipeline addresses research challenges in relation to equipment, expertise and cost Scientists from King’s College London’s (KCL) UK Dementia Research Institute’s (UK DRI) have developed a process to enable custom cell culture device creation. Published at PLOS Biology, the soft-lithography on 3D vat polymerised (SOL3D) pipeline is cheaper, versatile, highly reproducible and modifies…
Up to 20% of prostate cancer cases are classified as castration-resistant AstraZeneca (AZ) and Merck & Co – known as MSD outside the US and Canada – have announced that the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has approved Lynparza (olaparib) in combination with abiraterone and prednisone or prednisolone to treat adult patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate…
The centre will deliver free training, outreach materials and programmes The University of Birmingham is set to lead UK-wide virtual reality (VR)-assisted training in medicines manufacturing to address critical skills demand in life sciences. Set to benefit future medicine and vaccine makers, the new RESILIENCE Centre for Excellence for UK Medicines Manufacturing Skills Centre aims…
In the study, the Lymphoma Artificial Reader System accurately detected 90% of lymphatic cancers Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed a new computer model using artificial intelligence (AI), which successfully identifies signs of lymphatic cancer. The model was developed in collaboration with researchers from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Chalmers University…
Affecting 55 million people globally, dementia impairs the ability to remember, think or make decisions Roche and the Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) have partnered to uncover new research to understand the structural changes of dementia. Using cutting-edge imaging and machine learning (ML), researchers will analyse the brains of patients living with Parkinson’s…
Every year, missed hospital appointments are estimated to cost the NHS £1.2bn The NHS has announced that it’s set to roll out artificial intelligence (AI) to help improve waiting times for elective care and reduce the number of missed appointments. New data has shown that 6.4% of over 125 million outpatient appointments across the NHS…
More than 3,700 cases of mpox have been identified in the UK since May 2022 The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has announced a new phase 1/2 trial, delivered by the NIHR Clinical Research Network and sponsored by Moderna, to test the effectiveness of an investigational mRNA vaccine for mpox. The mPower…
Approaches to M&As in pharma points to each company’s philosophy
Stirred has revealed that Amy Greenwood will lead ‘Stirred Well’ Stirred has announced the arrival of former Evoke consumer health director, Amy Greenwood, to lead its new offering, Stirred Well. Amy arrives directly from Evoke (formerly Pegasus), where she oversaw its consumer health portfolio, which included clients such as Thornton & Ross, Superdrug, Perrigo and Galderma. Stirred Well…
The progressive neurological disorder affects approximately 12,400 people in Scotland AbbVie’s Produodopa (foslevodopa-foscarbidopa) has been accepted by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) for use within NHS Scotland to treat advanced levodopa-responsive Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD patients with severe motor fluctuations and hyperkinesia or dyskinesia when previous available combinations of PD medicinal products have not provided…
Around 200,000 people in the US are expected to be diagnosed with the skin cancer this year Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have revealed that age-related changes in the skin could also contribute to higher rates of melanoma metastases, a form of skin cancer, in older people. Recognised as the deadliest form…
Globally, cancer is currently the most leading cause of death due to disease among children The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) has announced it has been selected to receive a Cancer Grand Challenges (CGC) award of up to $25m to research the challenges of solid tumours in children. First launched in 2020 by Cancer Research…
Between October 2023 and March 2024, the UKHSA said that 733 cases of measles were reported in England The NHS has announced it is targeting young adults to catch up on their missed measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines as part of the NHS catch-up campaign. In England, more than 900,000 adults aged 19 to…
The HYPIEND project consists of 14 partners from eight European countries King’s College London (KCL) has announced that it is one of 14 partners from eight European countries to join the HYPIEND project to improve newborn health. Co-ordinated by the Eurecat technology centre, the five-year study aims to reduce the impact of endocrine disruptors on…
The neurodevelopmental condition affects up to four in 100 children A new study led by researchers at University College London (UCL) and other collaborators has revealed that adults who experienced amblyopia as children are more likely to experience serious diseases in adulthood. Published in eClinicalMedicine, the study was funded by the Medical Research Council, the…
The gamma treatment also shows potential for treating patients living with neurological diseases Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have shown that a non-invasive treatment called gamma treatment could protect cancer patients from “chemo brain,” memory impairment and other cognitive effects of chemotherapy. Chemo brain is a term used to describe thinking and…
The rare epileptic seizure disorder currently affects around one in 42,000 people in the UK The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved Marinus Pharmaceutical’s Ztalmy (ganaxolone) to treat cyclin-dependant kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) deficiency disorder (CDD). The approval marks Ztalmy as the first anti-seizure medication to be used in the UK to treat…
Secondary breast cancer is an important risk factor after receiving radiotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma NHS England has responded to the recent ministerial statement by newly establishing the Very High Risk (VHR) Pathway through the NHS Breast Screening Programme that invites eligible women for annual testing. The NHS is contacting 1,487 women who are at increased…
Ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma is the most common form of aggressive ovarian cancer Researchers from Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have developed an algorithm to identify high-risk precancerous lesions that lead to ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC). Published in Clinical Cancer Research, researchers aimed to develop a…
The project will train a newly developed AI system on data collected from participating men and women Researchers from the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering are aiming to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI)-based healthcare monitoring systems in the future are free of gender bias, to improve care for both men and women.…
CDH affects one in 5,000 babies born in the UK, impacting the foetus’ development of vital organs Researchers from University College London (UCL) and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) have developed a new approach to observing human development in late pregnancy to potentially monitor and treat congenital conditions before birth. Published in Nature Medicine, the…
The non-invasive tool can also improve patient stratification and monitor disease progression Researchers from King’s College London (KCL) have developed a deep learning framework for a non-invasive brain-age prediction tool for the early diagnosis of neurological diseases. The study built and made available a set of models for clinical use after training multiple brain models…
Women with atypical endometrial hyperplasia have an increased risk of developing cancer Researchers from the University of Edinburgh have revealed that improved patient care is needed to reduce cancer risk among women with endometrial hyperplasia in a new study. The study compared the treatment that patients living with the condition received before and after the…
Around 900,000 people in the UK are affected by the progressive neurodegenerative disease Researchers from University College London (UCL), in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, have revealed that impaired spatial navigation could determine the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) before the onset of symptoms. Published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s…
In the UK alone, the aggressive form of cancer affects around 52,000 men every year Researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Manchester have revealed that prostate cancer is not just a single disease and is made up of two different evotypes – subtypes of the disease. Published in Cell Genomics, the…
Aphasia is a language disorder caused by some form of brain damage, including stroke Researchers from the Neurotherapeutics Group at University College London’s Queen Square Institute of Neurology have developed a new digital app that significantly improves speech in stroke patients. Supported by Wellcome and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research…
TMR-CT will help doctors select treatment and predict the spread of lung cancer in patients Imperial College London (ICL) researchers have used artificial intelligence (AI) to identify information about the chemical makeup of lung tumours from medical scans of lung cancer. Published in npj Precision Oncology, the study demonstrates, for the first time, how medical…
Different factors, such as illness duration and virus variant, impacted patients cognitive abilities Imperial College London (ICL) researchers have revealed that people who have recovered from COVID-19 could have small but long-lasting impacts on the performance of cognitive and memory tasks. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the REACT Long COVID study enrolled…
Approximately 80% of patients taking Remicade from diagnosis had symptoms controlled Researchers from the University of Cambridge have revealed a ‘top-down’ treatment strategy involving Janssen’s Remicade (infliximab) straight after diagnosis significantly improved outcomes for patients with Crohn’s disease. Affecting around one in 350 people in the UK, Crohn’s disease is a life-long condition caused by…
In 2024, Rare Disease Day falls on an appropriately rare calendar date: 29 February, a leap year. This international awareness campaign provides the perfect opportunity to highlight the world’s lesser-known medical conditions — and to discuss the latest challenges within the rare disease research landscape. While these conditions might be individually uncommon, the cumulative number of people suffering from a rare…
Breast cancer is responsible for around 47,000 new cases in England every year Researchers from the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) have revealed a new type of targeted immunotherapy to help prevent the growth and spread of tumours in breast cancers. Published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, the new research was funded by…
The inherited fatal heart muscle condition affects one in every 500 adults in the UK Researchers from University College London (UCL) have developed a reusable electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) vest to detect early signs and abnormalities in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the study suggests that the ECGI vest…
Eight out of ten patients who took the test were discharged without needing further testing The NHS has announced that a simple sponge-on-a-string test developed by researchers from the early cancer institute at the University of Cambridge will replace the need for endoscopy to prevent oesophageal cancer. The NHS trialled the test to help diagnose…
The white paper outlines three strategic recommendations to support further research Researchers from King’s College London and Erasmus MC in the Netherlands have called for further funding support in a recently published white paper to investigate the use of radioactive cancer-targeted drugs to improve cancer treatments. The white paper, Unlocking the Full Potential of Cancer…
Every year, tuberculosis, malaria and HIV cause over five million deaths worldwide PhaSER Biomedical has received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation worth $2.3m to accelerate drug discovery and development. PhaSER’s technology, 8HUM, will become a collaborating institution within the Global Health Discovery Collaboratory Programme, funded by the Gates Foundation. As part…
Why haven’t we been delivering more life sciences research in primary care? Since the COVID-19 pandemic there has been an increasing recognition that primary care in the UK is uniquely placed to undertake clinical research. There is also an acknowledgement, however, that this setting has previously been relatively underdeveloped. Primary care has recently been termed…
Growing cerebral organoids from foetal human brain tissue For the first time, scientists have grown cerebral organoids from human foetal brain tissue. This is another leap in the mission to create biological neural tissues in the lab that can guide drug discovery. New kinds of bio-computers that are more efficient than conventional computers are on the horizon. “Until now,…
Results showed robust responses in patients with pancreatic and colorectal cancer Elicio Therapeutics has announced positive phase 1 clinical data suggesting that its cancer vaccine could be a viable option for the treatment of pancreatic and other cancers. The vaccine was developed by Darrel Irvine, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and…
In England, around 1,100 cases of bowel cancer are caused by the inherited condition every year The NHS has announced it is offering routine preventative bowel cancer screening to thousands of people in England living with Lynch syndrome (LS). The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme aims to reduce cases and identify bowel cancers earlier, when…
The immunosuppressant reduced inflammation in patients with the skin condition after three days Researchers from King’s College London (KCL) have investigated the early effects of AbbVie’s immunosuppressant drug, Skyrizi (risankizumab), which could help clinicians develop personalised treatment approaches for patients living with psoriasis. Published in Nature Communications, researchers studied the early effects of the biological…
The trial is recruiting patients in Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, London, Cambridge and Kent The University of Leeds has launched a trial funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) to investigate a new treatment for brain cancer. The APPROACH trial is now open to recruit patients…
Pharmacy First will enable patients to receive treatment for seven common conditions The NHS has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of the seven additional conditions that patients can get treatment from pharmacies for without needing to see a GP. Launched in January, Pharmacy First enables patients to now get treatment from their local…
For life sciences organisations, the pressure to speed up the time to market of new drugs and therapies continues at pace, alongside the need to reduce the cost of doing so. What is needed is a new technology paradigm that will reinvent the life sciences business model by connecting data, knowledge, people, and insights. Quantum…
A streptococcal bacterial infections are estimated to affect around 50 million people worldwide Researchers from Imperial College London (ICL) and the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) have launched the immunity to Streptococcus pyogenes (iSpy) Network to combat a deadly group of A streptococcal (Strep A) bacterial infections. The global multi-institution network, funded…
The nanogels, in combination with rolipram, contributed to the recovery of injured tissue Researchers from the Instituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS and Politecnico di Milano have developed an innovative nanogel that is able to deliver anti-inflammatory drugs for spinal cord injury. A spinal cord injury occurs when there is damage to the nerves…
The new programme will engage with children and young people under the age of 18 years Innovative Trials has announced a new initiative designed to boost clinical trial patient retention in paediatric studies, in partnership with the Oliver Patch Project, a US charity. The Retention Patch Program is designed to engage directly with children and…
The study aims to improve the representation of ethnic diversity within Parkinson’s research A study led by researchers at Queen Mary University and University College London aims to identify those at high risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD) before symptoms appear and understand the risk factors for the condition. Funded by Parkinson’s UK, the Predict-PD…
NRTX-1001 is being assessed for drug-resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy Neurona Therapeutics has announced that it has secured $120m in funding to help advance its lead candidate, NRTX-1001, a regenerative neural cell therapy currently being assessed for drug-resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). Affecting around 50 million people globally, MTLE is the most common form…
Cardiac quantitative susceptibility mapping successfully visualised iron deposits in patients Researchers from King’s College London (KCL) have investigated a new technique for diagnosing and evaluating multiple cardiac conditions that involve excess iron. The new technique, cardiac quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), was used to investigate the build-up of excess iron. With most serious heart attacks, the…
CLM-HT01 improved blood pressure and minimised adverse reactions in patients Closed Loop Medicine has shared positive results of its novel drug and proprietary technology software, developed to personalise treatment for hypertension, or blood pressure, patients. Findings from the study were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Currently the leading preventable cause of…
In Europe, stroke-related brain-bleed deaths are expected to increase by 8.9% by 2050 Researchers from King’s College London (KCL) have predicted that the number of cases and deaths from intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) is set to increase across Europe and the UK by 2050. Published in the Lancet Regional Health – Europe, the study highlights the…
The report includes five recommendations for the government to address these issues The Academy of Medical Sciences has published a new report that highlights evidence of declining health among children under five years in the UK and has called on policymakers to take urgent action. The new report highlights that children’s health has been overlooked…
The aggressive type of cancer accounts for 13% of all lung cancer cases worldwide MAIA Biotechnology has announced that positive results from its preclinical studies for THIO, a treatment for small cell lung cancer (SCLC), have been published in Nature Communications. The findings reported from the research were conducted in collaboration with the University of…
The phase 1/2 Mobilize trial is evaluating the safety and efficacy of mRNA-4359 Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (ICHT) and Imperial College London (ICL) have announced that the first UK patients have received the experimental mRNA therapy in an ongoing phase 1/2 clinical trial to treat melanoma, lung cancer and other solid tumour cancers. The…
The projects will focus on healthcare in LMICs in the event of extreme weather The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has awarded over £20m to eight new global health research projects to strengthen health service delivery and resilience in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), specifically in the context of extreme weather events.…
The chip removes cells, which could become tumours, before they are implanted in a patient Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology have developed a plastic microfluidic chip to improve the safety and effectiveness of cell therapy treatments for patients living with spinal cord injuries. In…
The platform delivers digitalised patient data to improve clinical trials and development Phesi has announced that its artificial intelligence (AI)-driven Trial Accelerator platform has reached a critical milestone of now containing global data from more than 100 million patients. The volume will allow sponsors to access data on patients with over 4,000 indications, plan more…
M+F Health has announced the appointment of Sarah Jones as a Director M+F Health has announced the appointment of Sarah Jones as a Director. Sarah joins the company with a wealth of expertise spanning more than 17 years in healthcare policy, public affairs and communications. Her previous roles included agency-side for Four, ICG and Bell Pottinger Public Affairs…
Decisive Consulting has appointed Chris Grimes-Crompton to its leadership team Decisive Consulting has appointed Chris Grimes-Crompton to lead its global commercial strategy efforts and become a member of its senior leadership team. Chris has over 25 years of life sciences experience with executive roles in the pharmaceutical, biotech, medtech and health-tech industries. He has also led organisations at…
The rare neurodevelopmental condition CDKL5 is characterised by early-onset epilepsy Researchers from the Francis Crick Institute have identified a new treatment target for cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) deficiency disorder (CDD), a common form of genetic epilepsy. CDD is a rare neurodevelopmental condition that is characterised by early-onset epilepsy, low muscle tone and developmental challenges in…
OART is increasingly emerging to assess and adapt treatment for cancer patients The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is set to implement online adaptive radiation therapy (OART) with RaySearch’s treatment planning system, RayStation, and oncology information system, RayCare. OART is a novel treatment for cancer patients that is increasingly emerging to assess patients’ anatomy, with…
The cell could be a target for new immunotherapies for the chronic disease Researchers from McMaster University and the pharmaceutical company ALK-Abello have discovered a new type of cell that remembers allergies. Published in Science Translational Medicine, the new discovery could lead to new immunotherapies to treat allergies. B cells are a type of immune…
The committee has advised that the vaccine should be given to those at the highest risk The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has announced its advice to the UK government in relation to the 2024 spring COVID-19 vaccine programme. The committee’s advice encourages the government to offer the vaccine to those at high…
The new products are in the areas of gastrointestinal and respiratory medicines ALTURiX has announced that it has acquired exclusive rights to three new products within the fields of gastrointestinal and respiratory medicine for commercialisation in the UK. The new agreements align with the British pharmaceutical company’s aim to reliably and affordably supply important products…
The HTA reported that Brainomix 360 improved access to treatment for stroke patients The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance endorsing the use of Brainomix’s artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled software, Brainomix 360, to help clinical decision-making in strokes. NICE advised that the software could be used within the NHS while further…
Hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy affects around three million babies worldwide every year Researchers from Imperial College London have revealed that a blood test can pinpoint the underlying cause of brain injury in newborn babies. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, could lead to a simple test to quickly diagnose brain injury in newborns and help with…
The biodegradable polymer scaffold encourages the body to grow new tissue Researchers at Harefield Hospital and Imperial College London’s (ICL) National Heart and Lung Institute have suggested a new heart procedure to help the body grow replacement heart valves. The treatment is developed to produce a living valve in the body that would be able…
The aggressive brain cancer is responsible for over 3,000 cases in the UK every year Researchers from King’s College London (KCL) have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based model that can predict adult brain cancer patients’ rates of survival after receiving radiotherapy treatment. Published in Neuro-Oncology, researchers applied deep learning to predict whether glioblastoma patients would…
The neurodegenerative condition currently affects over 944,000 people in the UK A new programme led by Queen Mary University of London and funded by the Alzheimer’s Society has received positive trial results that could benefit carers and patients living with dementia. The New Interventions for Independence in Dementia (NIDUS-Family) programme was successful in supporting patients…
Over 10,000 pharmacies in England will be offering the new advanced service The NHS has announced the launch of Pharmacy First, which allows patients in England to receive treatment for seven common conditions without needing to see a GP. Approximately 10,265 community pharmacies in England will be offering the new advanced service. From today, patients…
The institute is one of two UK laboratories wholly funded by the MRC The Medical Research Council (MRC) has opened a new Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), worth £120m, at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust’s Hammersmith hospital. The institute is one of two laboratories in the UK that is wholly funded by the MRC. Commissioned…
A career in modern clinical research must attract diversity Many face a roadblock when shifting careers, encountering a catch-22 of needing experience for a job that requires experience. This challenge is particularly pronounced in clinical research, where a lack of defined training pathways leaves potential professionals unaware of the career option until after training for…
A company’s ability to continuously attract talent is a crucial part of its success. Significant global challenges in recent years however, have forced organisations including life sciences and pharmaceutical companies, to reassess recruitment strategies and the way they position themselves to appeal to jobseekers as they compete for talent. Employers are increasingly having to adapt…
Individuals with Jewish ancestry are six times more likely to carry a genetic fault The NHS has announced the launch of a new BRCA gene testing programme to identify cancer risk early in individuals with Jewish ancestry. People with Jewish ancestry are about six times more likely to carry a genetic fault, which can increase…
Dopamine neuron senescence is a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons have reported that SARS-CoV-2 can infect dopamine neurones in the brain, triggering senescence. Long COVID patients should be monitored for an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD)-related symptoms,…
Tumours with high mtDNA mutations more likely to respond to Opdivo Scientists from the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre have discovered a cancer treatment that can identify patients who are more likely to respond to cancer drugs. Funded by Cancer Research UK and published in Nature Cancer, the study…
Prescriptions ordered via the app are expected to save around 1.85 million hours in 2024 NHS England has announced that its new digital prescription service has been added to the NHS App. The launch of the service follows a successful trial last year that involved over a million users. In alignment with the NHS campaign…
Camena has appointed Dr Nicola Thompson as Chair of its Board Camena Bioscience – a synthetic biology company providing genes to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries – has appointed Dr Nicola Thompson as Chair of its Board of Directors. Following its $10 million Series A financing earlier in the year, the appointment forms part of…
Broken String has appointed Gavin Burns as VP of Quality and Operations Broken String Biosciences – a genomics company – has announced the appointment of Gavin Burns as Vice President of Quality and Operations. Gavin will be responsible for building and optimising Broken String’s teams, processes and systems. His appointment will enable the Company to develop and scale its…
Around one million adults in the UK visit their GP every year due to chest pain Researchers from Keele University have identified the key risk factors of people with unattributed chest pain developing heart and circulatory diseases. The study, published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology, was funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).…
Type 2 diabetes is estimated to affect 462 million people worldwide An international academic consortium led by Johns Hopkins University, US, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Lund University, Sweden, has identified 13 biomarkers that improve the ability to accurately predict the risk of cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes. The study…
A total of 103,277 general and acute beds are now available to NHS patients New figures have shown an increase of an additional 5,000 permanent hospital beds in the NHS this winter. The NHS committed to an additional 5,000 ‘core’ beds as part of its urgent and emergency care recovery plan. The new data found…
The EST identified 30% of patients with a blood supply/demand mismatch Researchers from King’s College London (KCL) have revealed that the revival of a heart stress test was successful when put to the test against contemporary standards in heart care. Published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology, the electrocardiogram exercise stress test (EST)…
Around 50% of babies born with the condition are affected by heart defects Researchers from the Francis Crick Institute and University College London have identified a gene that causes heart defects in Down syndrome. Published in Science Translational Medicine, researchers studied human Down syndrome foetal and embryonic hearts from a mouse model of Down syndrome.…
In 2022, over 39,000 people in England died prematurely of cardiovascular conditions The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has revealed new data showing that early heart disease deaths in England have risen to the highest level seen since 2008. New figures show that over 39,000 people in England died prematurely of cardiovascular conditions, including heart attacks,…
HPV is a common group of viruses which can sometimes lead to cancer The NHS is urging both parents and young people between the ages of 12 and 13 years to take up having the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to meet the NHS cervical cancer elimination goal. New figures from the UK Health Security Agency…
CAD is responsible for around 68,000 deaths per year in the UK PlaqueTec and the Babraham Institute’s Flow Cytometry facility have announced a collaboration to develop and improve treatment for coronary artery disease (CAD). Both will develop a bespoke cell phenotyping assay for human blood to be used to analyse the blood of patients with…
The pharma industry is undergoing a profound transformation with the introduction of legislative reforms and the adoption of electronic patient information (ePI). Indeed, ePI could allow for medicine packs to no longer be restricted for use in a single market due to language specific patient information leaflets, as multilingual text could be accessed on the…
Patients living with sickle cell disease and thalassaemia will be eligible for the test The NHS has announced that it is the first healthcare system globally to provide a new group genotyping test for patients living with inherited blood disorders, including sickle cell disease and thalassaemia. The new blood matching genetic test will help the…
The new company will develop novel therapies to benefit the body’s immune system Oxitope Pharma and Arxx Therapeutics have announced their merger to form Calluna Pharma, which has raised €75m in a series A financing, to develop novel therapies for immunological diseases. The new company will combine Oxitope’s and Arxx’s expertise to develop novel therapies…
The advancement could allow earlier detection of cancer in the blood and better treatment Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have improved blood tests’ ability to detect and monitor cancer. The new advancement could allow earlier detection of circulating tumour DNA in blood samples, improving…
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease affects more than 12 million people globally Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Yale University School of Medicine have repurposed a compound originally developed to treat cancer for polycystic kidney disease (PKD) treatment. PKD is an inherited disorder that causes clusters of cysts to develop within the…
Approximately 48,000 deaths in the UK occur from sepsis every year The Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has partnered with the training platform, Goggleminds, to train staff and students to spot the signs and symptoms of sepsis. Clinical research fellows at the Trust have worked to develop training scenarios using immersive simulation for sepsis,…
Approximately one in five children will be hospitalised to treat measles The NHS has announced the launch of its new catch up campaign to get millions of children booked in for their missed measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The new campaign aligns with the health services efforts to protect children from becoming seriously ill…
Company will present vital findings at SRI annual meeting Serac Healthcare – a clinical radiopharmaceutical company – has announced that an abstract on vital data from the initial cohort of patients in the ‘Detecting endometriosis expressed integrins using technetium-99m’ imaging (DETECT) study, has been accepted for presentation at the Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI) annual…
New stroke therapy delivers electrical pulses to the brain A new stroke therapy which delivers electrical pulses to the brain via a portable, pacemaker-type device during rehabilitation therapy will be tested in a pioneering trial. It represents an attempt to improve arm recovery after stroke. The new study is being led by researchers from Sheffield…
Company is focused on endocannabinoid system treatments Synendos Therapeutics – a company focused on innovative endocannabinoid system (ECS) treatments – has announced that it has received approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to begin a phase 1 study of its SYT-510 asset. The therapy is a first-in-class inhibitor that modulates a newly identified drug…
Green light concerns generalised myasthenia gravis therapy The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has granted marketing authorisation for Zilbrysq as an add-on to standard therapy. Also known as zilucoplan, the drug treats generalised myasthenia gravis (gMG) among adult patients who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody positive. Zilucoplan is the first once-daily subcutaneous, targeted…
Data supports Poolbeg’s strategic expansion of POLB 001 Poolbeg – a company focused on innovative medicines – has announced promising in vivo results for POLB 001 in treating cancer immunotherapy-induced cytokine release syndrome (CRS). The drug showed efficacy in significantly reducing the condition in an animal model with CRS symptoms. The data further supports Poolbeg’s…
License agreement concerns development of cell therapies for corneal blindness ERS Genomics Limited (ERS) – a company formed to provide wider access to foundational CRISPR/Cas9 – and StemSight, a company developing stem cell based therapies for corneal blindness, have announced a non-exclusive license agreement. This agreement allows StemSight access to ERS’ CRISPR/Cas9 patent portfolio. StemSight…
Aston University to create the Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence Aston University is on course to create the Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME) – a cross-disciplinary facility to develop novel biomimetic membranes – having received £10m from Research England. The institute will be led by Professor Roslyn Bill, from the School of Biosciences, along…
EUR 20m to identify new targets and develop first in class drugs DISCO Pharmaceuticals – a company specialising in unlocking the surfaceome of cancer cells at scale – has raided EUR 20m to identify new targets and develop first in class drugs. The funding round was backed by a formidable investor syndicate, including Sofinnova Partners,…
Companies collaborate to launch walk-in pain clinic Kanabo Group has linked up with City Dock Pharmacy in London, to introduce a walk-in pain clinic offering specialised medicines, including medicinal cannabis. The partnership will cater for patients who are eligible for alternative therapies, as traditional treatments have not delivered improvements. The facility, which will be situated…
CellVoyant’s platform combines AI with live cell imaging CellVoyant – an AI biotechnology spin-out from the University of Bristol – has announced a £7.6 million funding round. Led by Octopus Ventures – with additional participation from Horizons Ventures, Air Street Capital and Verve Ventures – the funding represents the first stage in commercialising CellVoyant’s first…
The nine-week DTxl CBT helps to address psychological symptom burdens in PF patients Vicore Pharma has announced positive results for its digital cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), AlmeeTM, to help address the psychological symptom burdens in patients living with pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Developed in partnership with Alex Therapeutics, AlmeeTM is a nine-week digital CBT that can…
Both aim to advance the use of AI-powered cell analysis for cancer, stem cell and cell therapies Deepcell has entered into a research collaboration with NVIDIA to accelerate the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in single cell research for cancer, stem cells and cell therapies. Both companies aim to advance understandings of cell morphology…
Researchers compared 20 years of antibiotic use on E. coli in the UK and Norway Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Oslo, the University of Cambridge and collaborators have, for the first time, discovered that antibiotic use is not the only driver of superbugs. In the UK and Norway, researchers compared the…
If successful, the new test could see routine screening introduced in the NHS Researchers at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Cambridge have announced the launch of the BEST4 trial to evaluate a capsule sponge test to prevent oesophageal cancer. Funded by Cancer Research UK and the National Institute for Health…
New fleet of ultrasound machines at NHS Nightingale Hospital Exeter With a quarter of the population now on the NHS waiting list , reducing the backlog is critical. To ease the pressure on acute care, Professor Sir Mike Richards published a report in November 2020 calling for community diagnostic centres (CDCs) to be made available…
The diagnostic system can deliver particles to the lungs via aerosol or a nebuliser Engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have designed a diagnostic system to make lung cancer screening more accessible globally. The new technology could replace or supplement low-dose computed tomography (CT), the current gold standard for diagnosing lung cancer. Based…
In 2022, around 8% of patients survived 30 days after a cardiac arrest New data published by the Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Outcomes (OHCAO) Registry, based at the University of Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, has revealed that out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates remain low in England. In England, the data revealed that around 8% of patients…
The £30m ADVANCE study is the most extensive study into liver disease worldwide A new study involving Boehringer Ingelheim, Newcastle University and the University of Edinburgh has been announced to advance the development of new treatments for liver cirrhosis. The Accelerating Discovery: Actionable NASH Cirrhosis Endpoints (ADVANCE) study is the most extensive study into liver…
The partnership will advance VTP-500 from early development to phase 2 clinical trials Barinthus Biotherapeutics has announced a new partnership with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the University of Oxford to advance a vaccine against Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The partnership aims to fast-track the development of Barinthus Bios’ vaccine candidate,…
The fertilised eggs could cultivate tumours for imaging within seven days Researchers from King’s College London (KCL) have identified that fertilised chicken eggs could provide a low-cost opportunity for cancer imaging studies and radiotracer development. Published in the Nature Imaging Journal, the study findings could offer an alternative model that can improve both ethical and…
The condition affects around 270,935 people in England and 16,090 people in Wales The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published final guidance announcing a five-year roll-out of a wearable technology for patients living with type 1 diabetes. The new hybrid closed loop systems have proven to be more effective in maintaining…
The companies will aim to select targets, discover and develop new therapeutics Owkin and Evotec have entered into an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered strategic partnership in oncology, immunology and inflammation (I&I). Both companies will collaborate to accurately select targets, discover and develop new therapeutics. As part of the agreement, the French-American techbio company, Owkin, will identify…
Vd1-gd T cells were effective in predicting positive responses to ICI therapy Researchers from King’s College London (KCL), Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital Trust and the Francis Crick Institute have revealed that a type of immune cell can help predict how melanoma patients will respond to immunotherapy treatment. Melanoma, responsible for around 16,700 new cases…
Metastatic cancer is estimated to be responsible for 90% of cancer deaths Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital have developed a risk model to identify whether patients living with metastatic cancer could benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The risk model, which relies on routine blood work, is a practical…
High amounts of disrupted sleep were found to affect memory and thinking performance Researchers from the University of California have suggested an association between disrupted sleep and changes in cognitive function in midlife adults. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative brain disorder that impacts memory, thinking abilities and essential cognitive functions. In the UK, the…
NaviCam ProScan is the first AI-assisted reading tool for gastrointestinal bleeding AnX Robotica has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided FDA clearance of its artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted reading tool to aid small bowel capsule endoscopy. Through the FDA’s clearance, NaviCam ProScan is the first AI-assisted reading tool for adult patients…
The new hub will be located in the King’s Cross Knowledge Quarter, London Novo Nordisk has announced its plans to open a new, artificial intelligence (AI)-based research facility to advance drug discovery operations in London. The new hub will be located in King’s Cross’s Knowledge Quarter (KQ), in the heart of leading science institutions and…
The number of people getting tested over the last decade has increased by 133% The NHS has announced a new analysis showing its highest year on record for providing urgent cancer checks over the last year. Almost three million people in the UK received cancer checks between November 2022 and October 2023. In alignment with…
The programme is the only remote, digital delivery nursing home training programme for dementia King’s College London and the University of Exeter have announced that their digital training programme, iWHELD, significantly improved the quality of life for people living with dementia in residential and nursing home care. The programme was specifically adapted to COVID-19 restrictions…
Slow-growing cancer cells become more resistant to chemotherapy treatment Researchers from University College London (UCL) and Yale University have found that healthy cells ‘push’ cancer cells to grow more slowly in two bowel cancer studies. Responsible for the deaths of over 900,000 people a year, bowel cancer is the second highest cause…
The software has reduced the time to provide pathology data from days to hours The National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource (ACSR) has announced it will use a Proscia software to research and develop cancer in people living with HIV (PLWH). Newly leveraged data will be used to…
In England, ruptured brain aneurysms occur in around one in 15,000 people every year Researchers from King’s College London’s (KCL) School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences have confirmed the safety of a new flow-diverting stent device to prevent blood flow into brain aneurysms. Published in the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery, the…
The collaboration aims to develop biomarker-based diagnostics for the condition PharmaKure has announced a research collaboration agreement with the Faculty of Pharmacy at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia, for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research. The partnership will build pharmaceutical and academic collaborations, sharing data and clinical samples, to develop biomarker-based diagnostics for AD.…
The free programme will be offered to those who are affected by the condition Sano Genetics has announced the launch of its new platform, Light the Way, in the US, to support those most affected by motor neurone disease (MND). The programme will provide free peer support, DNA testing, genetic counselling and…
The funding builds on AstriVax’s €30m in seed funding for its vaccine platform AstriVax has announced that it has been awarded a total of €3m in funding from Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) for its therapeutic vaccine targeting chronic hepatitis B. The new funding will bring the company closer to revolutionising therapeutic…
The findings could lead to new treatments to target the mTOR and ease PD symptoms Researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have revealed new findings about a key pathological protein associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), which could lead to new treatments. Published in Science Translational Medicine, the study found that…
Bowel cancer is currently the third most common type of cancer in England The NHS has announced the expansion of its home-testing kits for bowel cancer in an effort to detect signs of the disease and diagnose it earlier. The expansion of the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme aligns with the health…