Published9 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Fergus WalshMedical editor Memory clinics across the UK are to begin trialling blood tests to see if they can accurately diagnose dementia.The hope is that more people will be able to access care, support and new drug treatments at an earlier stage.The research, by University College London and the University of Oxford, will involve around 5,000 volunteers. The five-year project will study blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.Currently, around a third of patients with dementia never get a formal diagnosis and are left with worry and uncertainty about their condition.Rogue proteinsOnly around 2% of patients have one of the ‘gold standard’ tests for Alzheimer’s – either a specialist PET brain scan or a spinal lumbar puncture.Both can show the presence of rogue proteins in the brain such as amyloid and tau which start to accumulate up to 20 years before symptoms emerge – but tests are expensive. The Oxford team will be looking at a range of blood tests, which could be a cheaper and easier way for doctors to spot early signs of the disease. One blood test will look for traces of these proteins in the blood in order to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Some tests will also look for potential biomarkers for vascular and frontotemporal dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. The researchers will also look at whether the blood tests can help detect these diseases at various stages.NHS ‘not ready’ for new Alzheimer’s drugsNHS exploring Alzheimer’s disease blood testsHow common is early Alzheimer’s?Dr Vanessa Raymont, from the University of Oxford, is leading a study which will recruit volunteers from more than 50 UK trial sites, which are all NHS memory clinics. She told the BBC that although several dementia blood tests had already shown promising results, they had limitations. “Research has tended to exclude the very elderly, ethnic minorities and those with other medical conditions so we need to understand what the data looks like in the real world, which is why these projects are so important.”The University College London (UCL) team will focus on the most promising biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease, called p-tau217, which can indicate levels of amyloid and tau in the brain.Its trial will see if measuring p-tau217 in the blood can increase the rate of diagnosis for Alzheimer’s disease in people with early dementia, but also those with mild but progressive memory problems.Access to new treatmentsJonathan Schott, professor of neurology at UCL, who is leading the trial, said: “An early, accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is already important, allowing people to access appropriate care and medications. “If, as we hope, new treatments that can slow down Alzheimer’s disease become available soon, then this will be vital,” he said.”This would pave the way for fair and equitable access to new and potentially life-changing treatments to all who might benefit.”Two treatments have shown in trials that they can slow the progression of early stage Alzheimer’s. Doctors say the benefits are modest but they represent the first ‘disease-modifying’ drugs. The drugs, lecanemab and donanemab, are currently being considered by the MHRA, the body which approves drugs in the UK. Even if they are granted licences, they would then need to be given the green light by health assessment bodies which consider their cost-effectiveness for the NHS, before being rolled out to patients. Dr Sheona Scales, director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We’ve seen the enormous potential that blood tests are showing for improving the diagnostic process for people and their loved ones in other disease areas.”She said it was important to see “the same step-change in dementia”, which is the greatest health challenge facing the UK.The Blood Biomarker Challenge is being funded by Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK, the National Institute for Health and Research and Gates Ventures, including £5m from People’s Postcode Lottery.More on this storyNHS ‘not ready’ for new Alzheimer’s drugsPublished12 FebruaryNHS exploring Alzheimer’s disease blood testsPublished9 November 2023New drugs for Alzheimer’s hailed as turning pointPublished17 July 2023Fiona Phillips: How common is early Alzheimer’s?Published5 July 2023Blood test for early Alzheimer’s ‘shows promise’Published29 July 2020First drug that can slow Alzheimer’s dementiaPublished22 October 2019Lifestyle changes that could lower your dementia riskPublished14 July 2019

Published8 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBy Fergus WalshMedical editor Thousands of patients in England with suspected lung cancer are being offered a blood test which can show if they can get early access to targeted therapies.The test looks for genetic variations to aid treatment decisions.Some tumours can be treated with pills rather than standard chemotherapy, often meaning fewer side effects. Lung cancer patient Kat Robinson, 33, was able to take tablets at home rather get treatment in hospital, giving her more precious time with her daughter.Kat says she has been told she has at least one year to live, but perhaps several more.She is among 2,000 patients who had already had the test when they presented with cancer symptoms. Lung cancer: Liquid biopsies could speed up treatmentA further 10,000 patients with suspected lung cancer will be offered it across 80 NHS Trusts in England over the next year.Kat’s symptoms began with a headache which wouldn’t go away. After two weeks, her sister persuaded her to see a doctor. “I thought it was a migraine, but my GP said you need to go to hospital right away. I immediately had an MRI and CT, and within two hours of stepping into the hospital I was talking to an oncology doctor.”They found seven tumours in my brain, which were causing my headaches, but further investigation found that my primary cancer was in my lung, where I have three tumours.”The cancer had also spread to Kat’s lymph nodes and her skull. She was offered a blood test, also described as a “liquid biopsy” which looks for fragments of DNA which have broken off tumours and are in the bloodstream. This so-called “circulating tumour DNA” revealed that Kat’s cancer growth was being driven by a mutation in the ALK gene. Although uncommon, the mutation is often seen in younger patients with non-small cell lung cancer who, like Kat, are non-smokers. It meant the best treatment for her was a targeted drug called brigatinib.”They were preparing me for radiotherapy and then chemotherapy, but instead I was able to go on this daily tablet.” She says she has had very few side effects, apart from nausea.Kat, from Dorset, decided to be completely candid with her 11-year-old daughter Paige about her cancer: “We talk about pretty much everything, and she has just tackled it head-on.”Paige says that before the diagnosis, her mother was very focused on her job as an accountant, but now she always has time for her. She says: “It has taught me that family is all that matters. I have learned how to cook loads of meals, and we are trying to build as many memories as we can.”Kat says when brigatinib stops working, doctors have said there is another targeted drug she can take before requiring radiotherapy and chemotherapy.The family has set up a gofundme page to help raise £10,000 so that Kat can take her daughter to Disney World in Florida. Brigatinib has a list price of more than £5,000 a month, but the NHS has negotiated a confidential discount with the manufacturer Takeda. Patient blood tests from across England will be analysed in a laboratory at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton, Surrey, with the aim of turning around the results within 14 days.Prof Sanjay Popat, consultant clinical oncologist at the Marsden, says the use of the blood test is a “superb idea” and means patients have faster access to the right treatment for their cancer.He says brigatinib is one of eight targeted treatments for non-small cell lung cancer, which accounts for at least 80% of lung cancer cases. All these drugs are tablets which can be taken at home by patients. “These tablets are highly effective and their side-effect profile is very good. By contrast, chemotherapy is tough – it makes people tired, and can cause nausea and hair loss.”He says the longer term outlook for patients is improving. “In the pre-targeted drugs era patients with widespread non-small cell lung cancer had an average survival of around a year or even less. We are now seeing survival measured in years.”Prof Popat says the use of blood tests or ‘liquid biopsies’ is likely to broaden to breast cancer and cancers in children.Peter Johnson, National Clinical Director for Cancer at NHS England, says: “The NHS has shown it can lead the way on innovation in cancer diagnosis and treatment, and this pilot is another example of our commitment to getting patients cutting-edge treatments and therapies to improve outcomes, giving people facing lung cancer more precious time with loved ones.” More on this storyBlood-test biopsy could speed up cancer treatmentPublished25 April 2023Escape to the Country’s Jonnie Irwin dies aged 50Published3 FebruaryMy lung cancer was diagnosed after Covid symptomsPublished11 MarchRelated Internet LinksNHS EnglandThe Royal MarsdenThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Published12 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Fergus WalshMedical editor Alzheimer’s patients could lose out on two groundbreaking new drugs because the NHS is unprepared, a leading charity has told BBC Panorama.Lecanemab and donanemab slow down the early stages of the disease – which is the most common form of dementia.But Alzheimer’s Research UK says the NHS is not ready to roll out the drugs, which could be licensed this year.The treatments would then be subject to an assessment of cost and benefits before they are made available. Lecanemab and donanemab represent a step forward because they target one of the causes of Alzheimer’s, rather than treating the symptoms.However, their effectiveness depends on early diagnosis – and very few people have the specialist scans or investigations which would be needed.Questions also remain over potentially harmful side-effects of the drugs and whether the benefit they offer represents value for NHS money. Dawn, who’s 62 and from Hampshire, is on a new donanemab trial, aimed at studying optimum dosing levels.She started noticing memory problems last year, forgetting recent events and sometimes struggling to follow a television programme.”I just knew something wasn’t right,” she says.Tests revealed raised levels of a rogue protein in her brain called amyloid – a key marker of Alzheimer’s disease.Amyloid forms clumps or plaques around neurons, which are cells in the brain that transmit information and instructions throughout the body. This process can start up to 20 years before the damage to brain cells becomes apparent and the first symptoms of dementia emerge, such as memory loss, or confusion. Donanemab and lecanemab are antibodies, like those made by our body to attack viruses or bacteria. They have both been engineered to bind to amyloid and help our immune system clear it from the brain.Dawn is hopeful the drug will help her: “If it slows it down, then I’ll be able to function as I’d like to and do some of the things I’d still like to do.”Alzheimer’s: A Turning Point?Fergus Walsh follows patients with Alzheimer’s disease, who have been taking two new drugs that have been shown to slow down its progression. Is this a turning point in its treatment?Watch on BBC One on 12 February at 20:00 (20:30 in Northern Ireland and 22:40 in Wales) or on BBC iPlayer now (UK Only)In global trials involving hundreds of early-stage Alzheimer’s patients, the drugs were shown to slow cognitive decline by between about a quarter and a third over 18 months.Consultant neurologist Dr Cath Mummery, who is head of clinical trials at the Dementia Research Centre, University College London, says this would make a meaningful, if small, difference to individual patients: “Over 18 months, that gives you about five months at a higher function.”Lecanemab – produced by Eisai and Biogen – is already licensed in the US where it costs about £20,000 per patient per year. The UK medicines regulator – the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) – is assessing the drugs and is expected to approve lecanemab within the next few months, with the licence for donanemab – made by Eli Lilly – following slightly later.However, both drugs come with potentially serious side effects, most notably swelling and bleeding in the brain. Three of the 853 people who took donanemab during the clinical trial, died as a result of the treatment.As a result, patients need very careful monitoring via MRI brain scans. The side effects of the drugs and their limited effectiveness has led some critics to dismiss them as a dead end. Dr Cath Mummery disagrees. She says, “For the first time, we’ve got drugs that show that you can alter the course of Alzheimer’s disease, and that’s an extraordinary thing.”Dr Mummery believes this may be the first move towards managing Alzheimer’s as a chronic disease and keeping sufferers well and stable for as long as possible. Until now, she says, doctors could only give supportive and palliative care for what is, in effect, a terminal disease. But even if the drugs are licensed in the UK, it does not mean they will be immediately available on the NHS.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Scottish Medicines Consortium will assess the effectiveness of lecanemab and donanemab, and whether they represent value for money. A briefing paper for NHS England estimates that between 50,000 and 280,000 patients might be eligible for the new treatments if NICE recommends that the drugs are used by the health service. The cost of the drugs – and administering the treatment – would be between £500m and £1bn per year.However, even if the drugs are approved, Alzheimer’s charities say that the NHS is unprepared for their delivery.Support information about dementia / Alzheimer’s can be found through BBC Action Line.To be eligible for either drug, patients would have to be in the early stages of Alzheimer’s and have had a PET scan or lumbar puncture to confirm high levels of amyloid in their brain. Currently, only 2% of dementia patients receive either of these “gold standard” methods of diagnosis, according to Alzheimer’s Research UK.It is hoped that a blood test to detect amyloid levels may be available within five years. However, Dr Susan Kohlhaas, director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, says that, currently, fewer than two thirds of sufferers receive any dementia diagnosis at all. “Would we accept that for any other disease area, much less than for the biggest killer in the UK?” she asks. “This is a major issue that we need to start addressing now.”NHS England says that the pandemic had a “significant impact” on dementia diagnosis rates, but (as of November 2023) they are the highest they have been in three years. It adds that a dedicated programme team has been established “to accelerate NHS preparations for the rollout of any future Alzheimer’s treatment”. Paul, 73, from North Yorkshire, first started noticing his loss of memory a couple of years ago and it has since got worse. He was referred for a brain scan by his GP and then waited five months for an appointment with a memory clinic. He still does not have a formal diagnosis.He says the delays have made him “really worried and upset” because his condition has deteriorated in recent months, and he is aware that the new drugs need to be given to those with only mild symptoms of Alzheimer’s.”I have a young family, so the longer I can be around the better.” For most people, advancing age is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s.But in rare cases it is triggered by a faulty gene, meaning the onset of symptoms can happen in someone’s 30s.Pete, 33, from North Lincolnshire, lives under the shadow of Alzheimer’s. His mother first developed symptoms of cognitive decline around his age and died from Alzheimer’s aged 41. A genetic test in 2018 confirmed that Pete had inherited a rare gene for early-onset Alzheimer’s called presenilin 1. It was passed down from his mother and grandmother, who also developed Alzheimer’s in her 30s. With each generation there is a 50:50 chance that children will have inherited the gene. Pete has no symptoms at present and is part of a clinical trial of two Alzheimer’s drugs. Lecanemab is one of those, as it targets amyloid – while the other is E2814, which targets tau, another protein implicated in the development of the disease, which forms tangles inside neurons, harming their ability to communicate.”If these drugs I’m on don’t work I will get Alzheimer’s,” he says. “The age range varies, and if I’m lucky, onset won’t happen until my mid-to-late 40s. But it will happen.”Lecanemab has so far been tested on patients who already have a large build-up of amyloid in their brain and are showing symptoms of decline. The hope is the effect could be bigger and longer lasting in someone like Pete.”I do my best to remain grounded and there are no guarantees, but I joked with someone the other day that I could be the first person to beat Alzheimer’s.”

Published13 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Fergus WalshMedical editorAnalysing the entire genetic code of cancer patients can help deliver treatments that work better for the individual, experts have found.In the biggest study of its kind, with 13,000 cancer patients in England, combining clinical data and DNA evidence meant care could be tailored.Based on the results, some were given different drugs or avoided ones likely to cause them side effects. Most brain tumours had genetics that affected treatment decisions.In the study, published in Nature Medicine, more than nine out of every 10 brain tumours and most bowel and lung cancers exhibited genetic changes that could guide decisions about surgery or specific treatments.Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analyses someone’s entire genetic code – all 3.2 billion letters that make up their DNA. Cancer patients have:the baseline “healthy” genome they inherited from both parents – here, the DNA is extracted via a blood testthe corrupted genome found in their cancer, which is made up of both healthy and mutated DNA and taken via a biopsyThe first can show genetic variations that may make them more susceptible to cancer – the BRCA1 mutation can increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, for example.The second can show which genes are helping to spread their cancer and whether they may be more likely to suffer adverse side effects from some drugs.In more than 10% of sarcomas – solid cancers in the bone and muscle – the researchers found genetic changes that revealed different sub-types of the cancer, which, in turn, helped doctors choose the correct treatment.They also found more than 10% of ovarian cancers were probably inherited, offering insights into clinical care and potential testing of family members. The study, led by Genomics England, NHS England, Queen Mary University of London, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Westminster and completed in 2018, analysed data covering over 30 types of solid tumours.DNA mapping project to transform societyHundreds with rare diseases get genetic diagnosis It was “an important milestone in genomic medicine”, Dr Nirupa Murugaesu said.”We are starting to realise the promise of precision oncology that was envisioned 10 years ago, when the 100,000 Genomes Project was launched,” she said.”We are showing how cancer genomics can be incorporated into mainstream cancer care across a national health system – and the benefits that can bring patients. “By collecting long-term clinical data alongside genomic data, the study has created a first-of-its-kind resource for clinicians to better predict outcomes and tailor treatments, which will allow them to inform, prepare, and manage the expectations of patients more effectively.”‘Tremendous opportunities’The results had been fed back to clinical teams, Dr Murugaesu said.And at least one trust in the East Midlands had taken action in about one in every four of the cases, mostly putting patients into clinical trials or ensuring they avoided medicines for which they had an increased risk of side effects. Genomics England scientific director for cancer Dr Alona Sosinsky said: “The 100,000 Genomes Project paved the way for delivering whole-genome sequencing in cancer. “This technology opens tremendous opportunities for precision oncology.” More on this storyNewborns to get rapid genetic disease diagnosisPublished13 December 2022DNA mapping project ‘to transform society’Published5 December 2018Hundreds with rare diseases get genetic diagnosisPublished11 November 2021Related Internet Links100,000 Genomes Project – Genomics EnglandThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Published25 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Fergus WalshMedical editor Hospital admissions from a winter virus could be reduced by more than 80% if babies are given a single dose of a new antibody treatment, a study says.Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but can lead to bronchiolitis and pneumonia. More than 30,000 under fives are hospitalised with RSV in the UK annually, resulting in 20 to 30 deaths.One parent said her son getting RSV was “very scary” as a first-time mother.Lorna and Russell Smith’s eldest son, Caolan, got the virus when he was eight months old and was admitted to hospital twice – each time requiring oxygen. Now aged two, he has made a full recovery. “I hadn’t heard of RSV and wasn’t sure what to do. He had laboured breathing due to high temperature and was quite lethargic. It brought a lot of anxiety and stress,” Lorna said.The family, from Southampton, hope their one-month-old Rian will be able to have the RSV antibody injection if it is approved for use in the NHS.Image source, Lorna and Russell SmithThe Harmonie study involved 8,000 children up to the age of 12 months in the UK, France and Germany, with half receiving a single dose of the monoclonal antibody treatment nirsevimab.The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that RSV-related hospitalisation was reduced by 83% in those receiving the jab and admissions for all chest infections were cut by 58%. Side effects were similar in both groups and mostly mild. Kate and Matt Parker’s twin daughters, Jessica and Ellie, took part in the trial in Southampton when they were three months old. Kate told the BBC: “I hoped that if one of them got the jab they would have a good chance of remaining healthy over the winter season. Jess was immunised, but both were well.” She said the trial results were “fantastic” and “if it could prevent thousands of children going into hospital and putting more strain on the NHS during the winter, that would be great.”Nirsevimab, produced by Sanofi, was licensed for use in the UK last year. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises the government, is considering whether to recommend the jab to protect infants. It is also analysing data on a RSV vaccine given to pregnant women which was licensed last month.The JCVI says a cost-effective RSV immunisation programme should be developed for both infants and older adults.Unlike a vaccine, which prompts the body to create antibodies and takes a few weeks to be effective, nirsevimab gives immediate protection. Prof Saul Faust, co-study leader at the University of Southampton and a consultant paediatrician, said: “These latest results show that this long-acting antibody is safe and could protect thousands of babies from hospitalisation when used in conditions similar to routine clinical practice. It is really important information for the UK to help decide on options for the future national RSV immunisation programme.”In July, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nirsevimab for babies and it has also been rolled out in parts of Spain. How to spot RSV•RSV starts with a blocked or runny nose and can progress to a dry cough, fever and sometimes breathing problems•For most children, it will be mild and can be treated at home with infant paracetamol or ibuprofen•Call your GP or seek medical advice if your child is not feeding normally, is breathing fast or has a high temperature that will not go down•Call 999 if your child is exhausted from trying to breathe – you may see the muscles under their ribs sucking in with each breath or they may be pale and sweaty More on this storyHospital hails winter virus jab trial for babiesPublished19 MayMother’s RSV warning as vaccine trial progressesPublished19 FebruaryBe alert to RSV risk to children, parents urgedPublished30 September 2022

Published9 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, SPLBy Fergus WalshMedical editorIn a world first, medical regulators in the UK have approved a gene therapy that aims to cure two blood disorders. The treatment for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia is the first to be licensed using the gene-editing tool known as Crispr, for which its discoverers were awarded the Nobel prize in 2020. This is a revolutionary advance for two inherited blood conditions, both triggered by errors in the gene for haemoglobin. People with sickle cell disease produce unusually shaped red blood cells that can cause problems because they do not live as long as healthy blood cells and can block blood vessels, causing pain and life-threatening infections. People with beta thalassaemia do not produce enough haemoglobin, which is used by red blood cells to carry oxygen around the body. Patients with beta thalassemia often need a blood transfusion every few weeks of their lives.How it worksDNA is the blueprint of life – and genes contain the instructions for how every cell in our body works. Gene-editing allows the precise manipulation of DNA. The treatment involves removing bone marrow stem cells from a patient’s blood.In a laboratory, the gene-editing tool Crispr uses molecular scissors to make precise cuts in the DNA of the cells, thus disabling the faulty gene. The modified cells are infused back, allowing the body to start producing functioning haemoglobin.In trials, 28 out of 29 sickle cell patients were free of severe pain and 39 of 42 beta thalassemia patients no longer needed blood transfusions for at least a year. It’s hoped it could be a permanent fix.Trials are continuing in the UK, US, France, Germany and Italy.Around 15,000 people in the UK have sickle cell disease, most with an African or Caribbean family background. Almost 300 babies are born in the UK with sickle cell disease each year.More than 1,000 people in the UK are affected by thalassemia, mainly those of Mediterranean, southeast Asian and Middle Eastern origin.’The revolutionary gene-editing treatment that gave me new life'”Both sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia are painful, life-long conditions that in some cases can be fatal,” said Julian Beach, interim executive director of healthcare quality and access at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).”To date, a bone marrow transplant – which must come from a closely matched donor and carries a risk of rejection – has been the only permanent treatment option.”But now a “first-of-its-kind” gene-editing treatment called Casgevy has been authorised by the MHRA, he said.In trials, it has been “found to restore healthy haemoglobin production in the majority of participants with sickle-cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassaemia, relieving the symptoms of disease”, he said.’I feel reborn after pioneering treatment’ Image source, Jimi OlaghereJimi Olaghere thought he would have to wait decades to be freed from his sickle cell disease – but he spoke to BBC News in 2022 after becoming one of the first seven sickle cell patients to have benefited from the revolutionary new gene-editing treatment in the US.”It’s like being born again,” said Jimi. He spoke of how he felt it had changed his life. “When I look back, it’s like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I lived with that.'”Jimi had lived with sickle cell since childhood. “You always have to be in a war mindset, knowing that your days are going to be filled with challenges.”Read more here.John James OBE, Chief Executive of the Sickle Cell Society said: “Sickle cell disorder is an incredibly debilitating condition, causing significant pain for the people who live it and potentially leading to early mortality. “There are limited medicines currently available to patients, so I welcome today’s news that a new treatment has been judged safe and effective, which has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for so many.” No price has yet been set for Casgevy, but the one off treatment might cost £1 million or more – which could be deemed too high a price for the NHS to bear. In April, a US think tank, ICER, said the drug would be cost effective if it was priced at no more than £1.5million.For Casgevy, the drug is a personalised one-off treatment made from tweaking the patient’s own cells – that makes it expensive and time-consuming. Add in the cost of research and development – there are just two labs one in the US and the other in the UK – currently producing the drug. The Boston-based pharma company involved, Vertex, will want its product used as widely as possible so will need to set a price that health services here and abroad are prepared to pay. THE DARK SIDE OF ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES ON EARTH: Shetland returns for a new series on BBC iPlayerWERE DINOSAURS TOO BIG?: Brian Cox and Robin Ince discover why size really matters if you want to avoid extinctionMore on this story‘I feel reborn after pioneering gene-editing treatment’Published20 February 2022

Published33 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Fergus WalshMedical editorAstraZeneca is facing legal action over its Covid vaccine, by a man who suffered severe brain injury after having the jab in April 2021.Father-of-two Jamie Scott suffered a blood clot that left him with brain damage and unable to keep working.The action, taken under the Consumer Protection Act, alleges the vaccine was “defective” as it was less safe than individuals were entitled to expect.Studies suggest Covid vaccines have saved millions of lives. In June 2022, the World Health Organization said the AstraZeneca vaccine was “safe and effective for individuals aged 18 and above”.’Stringent standards’The legal action is at least a year away from a full court hearing.A further claim from about 80 people who say they were injured by the AstraZeneca vaccine is also due to be launched later this year but Mr Scott’s case is expected to be heard first. AstraZeneca said: “Patient safety is our highest priority and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines. “Our sympathy goes out to anyone who has lost loved ones or reported health problems.”From the body of evidence in clinical trials and real-world data, Vaxzevria [the vaccine against Covid] has continuously been shown to have an acceptable safety profile and regulators around the world consistently state that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of extremely rare potential side effects.” ‘Wholly insufficient’Many of the claimants have received one-off fixed tax-free payments of £120,000 under the government’s Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS), which provides compensation for those injured or to bereaved next of kin. Official figures obtained under a Freedom of Information request showed at least 144 out of 148 VDPS payments had gone to recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the Daily Telegraph reported. And an attempt to have the VDPS overhauled is at the heart of these legal actions.Claimants have to show the vaccine caused serious disability of at least 60%. And the families say the level of compensation is wholly insufficient and has not been adjusted for inflation since 2007. On 7 April 2021, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advised adults aged under 30 be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine, “following reports of extremely rare blood clots in a very small number of people”.On 7 May 2021, the guidance was amended to apply to adults aged under 40.Mr Scott was aged 44 when he received the AstraZeneca vaccine, on 23 April 2021.Kate Scott, Jamie’s wife, told the BBC: “Jamie has had over 250 rehabilitation sessions from specialists, he had to learn to walk again, to swallow, to talk. [He has had] memory problems. “Although he has done very well with them we are at the point now where this new version of Jamie… is the version that will go forward. He has cognition problems…he has aphasia..severe headaches, blindness.”She added: “We need the government to reform the vaccine damage payment scheme. It is inefficient and unfair…and then fair compensation.”Not-for-profit basisOn 4 January 2021, Brian Pinker, 82, became the first person to receive the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine outside of a clinical trial. He was given the jab in Oxford, just a few hundred metres away from the Jenner Institute, where the vaccine had been developed. The government called it a pivotal moment in the fight against the virus. The immunisation came just weeks after the rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab. By September 2022, some 53 million people in the UK had received at least one dose of Covid vaccine.AstraZeneca manufactured the Oxford vaccine on a not-for-profit basis. And the vaccine had saved more than six million lives in its first year of use, more than any other Covid jab, an independent study by disease-forecasting company Airfinity, published last year, estimated.But within a few months of the AstraZeneca vaccine rollout, cases began emerging of a potential side effect from blood clots. And a condition known as vaccine-induced immune thrombosis and thrombocytopenia (VITT) was eventually identified.The cases were so rare they had not been identified in the global trials of the vaccine. More on this storyUnder 40s to be offered alternative to AZ vaccinePublished7 May 2021Under-30s offered alternative to Oxford-AZ jabPublished7 April 2021Related Internet LinksCOVID-19 vaccination – NHS.websiteThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Published1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBy Fergus WalshMedical editorArtificial intelligence is nearly twice as good at grading the aggressiveness of a rare form of cancer from scans as the current method, a study suggests.By recognising details invisible to the naked eye, AI was 82% accurate, compared with 44% for lab analysis.Researchers from the Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research say it could improve treatment and benefit thousands every year.They are also excited by its potential for spotting other cancers early.AI is already showing huge promise for diagnosing breast cancers and reducing treatment times.Computers can be fed huge amounts of information and trained to identify the patterns in it to make predictions, solve problems and even learn from their own mistakes.What is AI and is it dangerous?AI named word of the year by Collins DictionaryDemis Hassabis: AI must not ‘move fast and break things'”We’re incredibly excited by the potential of this state-of-the-art technology,” said Professor Christina Messiou, consultant radiologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and professor in imaging for personalised oncology at The Institute of Cancer Research, London.”It could lead to patients having better outcomes, through faster diagnosis and more effectively personalised treatment.” LISTEN to 5 Minutes On – AI and Cancer Diagnosis: “An absolute game changer” on BBC SoundsThe researchers, writing in Lancet Oncology, used a technique called radiomics to identify signs, invisible to the naked eye, of retroperitoneal sarcoma – which develops in the connective tissue of the back of the abdomen – in scans of 170 patients.With this data, the AI algorithm was able to grade the aggressiveness of 89 other European and US hospital patients’ tumours, from scans, much more accurately than biopsies, in which a small part of the cancerous tissue is analysed under a microscope.’Quicker diagnosis’When dental nurse Tina McLaughlan was diagnosed – in June last year, after stomach pain – with a sarcoma at the back of her abdomen, doctors relied on computerised-tomography (CT) scan images to find the problem. They decided it was too risky to give her a needle biopsy.The 65-year-old, from Bedfordshire, had the tumour removed and now returns to the Royal Marsden for scans every three months. She was not part of the AI trial but told BBC News it would help other patients.”You go in for the first scan and they can’t tell you what it is – they didn’t tell me through all my treatment, until the histology, post-op, so it would be really useful to know that straight away,” Ms McLaughlan said. “Hopefully, it would lead to a quicker diagnosis.”‘Personalised treatment’About 4,300 people in England are diagnosed with this type of cancer each year.Prof Messiou hopes the technology can eventually be used around the world, with high-risk patients given specific treatment while those at low risk are spared unnecessary treatments and follow-up scans.Dr Paul Huang, from the Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: “This kind of technology has the potential to transform the lives of people with sarcoma – enabling personalised treatment plans tailored to the specific biology of their cancer. “It’s great to see such promising findings.”Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox.More on this storySafer brain surgery using AI possible in two yearsPublished28 SeptemberGoogle boss: AI too important not to get rightPublished17 OctoberAI offers huge promise on breast cancer screeningPublished2 AugustHow AI is helping doctors spot breast cancersPublished9 JuneAI cuts treatment time for cancer radiotherapyPublished27 JuneAI ‘outperforms’ doctors diagnosing breast cancerPublished2 January 2020Around the BBC5 Minutes On – AI and Cancer Diagnosis – -An absolute game changer- – BBC SoundsRelated Internet LinksBiopsy – NHSThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Published36 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersBy Fergus WalshMedical editor Moderna is hoping to make its Covid jab available privately in the UK.Currently, it can be given only as part of the NHS autumn booster programme. But next year, the Covid vaccine’s licence is likely to be updated so High Street pharmacies and private clinics can sell it like the flu jab.Moderna chief executive Stephane Bancel told BBC News his teams were “working with governments to make this happen”.”People who want to be protected should be able to be protected,” he said. What you need to know about Covid as new variant risesCovid booster: Who can get another jab this autumn?Nobel Prize goes to scientists behind mRNA Covid vaccinesModerna is also hoping to launch a combined messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) flu and Covid vaccine in 2025.Interim data from early trials suggest it is as effective as separate doses of existing jabs. And Moderna hopes to have a triple vaccine, against flu, Covid and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), ready for 2026. “Nobody wants to get two, three, four shots every winter,” Mr Bancel said:”So we are really obsessed at the company about how do we combine those products to end up getting one annual shot where you go to your pharmacy or doctors early in the fall”You get one shot – flu, Covid, RSV protection – and you can spend a healthy winter.” Considerably higherModerna’s Covid jab is already available privately in the US, for about £100 ($120). No price has been set for the UK – but it is likely to be considerably higher than the £12-20 cost of a flu jab.Pfizer, which also supplies Covid jabs to the UK, said it too was exploring providing them privately in the UK. But both companies said their current priority was to fulfil their commitments to supply the UK government with Covid vaccines. This week, two scientists who developed the technology that led to the first mRNA Covid vaccines were awarded the Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine. More on this storyWarning that Covid will ‘continue to surprise us’Published3 days agoNew Covid and flu dashboard launched for EnglandPublished26 SeptemberWho can get another Covid jab this autumn?Published19 September

Published1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBy Fergus WalshMedical editor Surgeons in Oxford have carried out the first womb transplant in the UK. The recipient was a 34-year-old woman, and the donor her 40-year-old sister, both of whom wish to remain anonymous.Doctors say both recovered well from surgery and the younger sister – with her husband – has several embryos in storage, waiting to be transferred.A team of more than 30 carried out the procedures, lasting around 17 hours, in adjoining operating theatres at the Churchill hospital in February. Her sister already had two children and had completed her family. Both sisters live in England. Prof Richard Smith, gynaecological surgeon, who led the organ retrieval team, has spent 25 years researching womb transplantation. He told the BBC it was a “massive success”.He said: “The whole thing was emotional. I think we were all a bit tearful afterwards.” Transplant surgeon Isabel Quiroga, who led the team implanting the womb, said the recipient was delighted: “She was absolutely over the moon, very happy, and is hoping that she can go on to have not one but two babies. Her womb is functioning perfectly and we are monitoring her progress very closely.”The woman had her first period two weeks after the surgery. Like other transplant patients, she needs to take immunosuppressive drugs to prevent tissue rejection. These carry some long-term health risks, so the uterus will be removed after a maximum of two pregnancies. She was born with a rare condition, Type 1 Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) where the uterus is absent or underdeveloped, but has functioning ovaries. Prior to surgery she had fertility treatment with her husband, and they have eight embryos in storage. Both underwent counselling before surgery, and their case was reviewed and approved by the Human Tissue Authority. The NHS costs, estimated at £25,000, were paid for by the charity Womb Transplant UK. More than 30 staff involved on the day gave their time for free.Prof Smith, who is Chairman of Womb Transplant UK, said the team had been authorised to carry out a total of 15 transplants – five with live donors and 10 with deceased, brain-dead donors – but would need another £300,000 to pay for all the procedures.He said: “The shocking truth is that there are currently more than 15,000 women of child-bearing age in this country who have Absolute Uterine Factor Infertility. They were either born without a womb or have had a hysterectomy due to cancer or other abnormalities of the womb.”In 2014 a woman in Sweden became the first to have a baby as a result of a womb transplant. She had received a donated womb from a friend in her 60s. Since then 100 womb transplants have taken place worldwide and around 50 babies have been born, mostly in the US and Sweden, but also in Turkey, India, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Germany and France.Surgeons in the UK were given permission to begin performing womb transplants in 2015. Writing in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the team cited “institutional delays” and Covid as reasons why the UK had taken so long to perform its first operation. Womb Transplant UK said more than 500 women had contacted the charity wishing to take part in the programme, and around a dozen had embryos in storage or were undergoing fertility treatment – a prerequisite for getting on the waiting list. One of them is 31-year-old Lydia Brain, who needed a hysterectomy after having womb cancer. She was diagnosed when she was 24 after experiencing heavy periods, and bleeding between periods, which led to anaemia. She and her partner have paid £15,000 for fertility treatment and now have several embryos in storage. Image source, BBC Lydia said she was delighted by the news of the first successful womb transplant in the UK, describing it as “miraculous”. She told the BBC: “Infertility was a huge part of the impact of my cancer. It affects you every day as you can’t avoid pregnant people, babies, and your friends getting into that phase of their life.”She said it “would mean everything” if she could get on the waiting list and have a womb transplant, because she wants to “carry my own child and have that experience, being able to breastfeed and to have a newborn baby, at least once.”Lydia said she would consider surrogacy and adoption, but said both routes were problematic. “The laws and the process are very difficult,” she explained, adding that with adoption “you often don’t get a newborn baby”.Lydia now works for the charity Eve Appeal, which funds research and raises awareness into the five gynaecological cancers – womb, ovarian, cervical, vulval and vaginal. More on this storyFirst UK womb transplant ‘by end of 2018’Published5 June 2018Womb transplants: how do they work?Published30 September 2015First womb-transplant baby bornPublished4 October 2014Related Internet LinksChurchill Hospital OxfordThe Eve AppealThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.