Leeds doctor awarded major grant to investigate exciting new arthritis drugs
A Leeds doctor has been awarded a three-year fellowship by the Arthritis Research Campaign (arc) to investigate why some arthritis patients fail to respond to an exiting new therapy pioneered in the city.
Doctors at Leeds General Infirmary's rheumatology department played a major part in an international trial testing the effectiveness of new drugs, known as anti-TNF therapy, on rheumatoid arthritis patients.
The drugs, which were approved by the government's National Institute for Clinical Excellence earlier this year, can have a near miraculous effect on some patients with severe advanced rheumatoid arthritis, vastly improving their quality of life.
Professor Paul Emery and his team at the LGI's early arthritis clinic was involved in the clinical trials which led to the drugs gaining a UK licence, following breakthrough research by arc-funded scientists.
Now specialist registrar at the university's Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Research Unit Dr Maya Buch has been awarded £165,099 from arc to find out why the drugs don't work for all patients.
“We can do this by analysing the tissue in the joint, looking for different proteins which cause the damage in rheumatoid arthritis. Not only will we be able to identify patients who are likely to benefit from anti-TNF treatment as early as possible, but we can also target other specific proteins with new therapies for those who fail to respond,” explained Dr Buch.
As anti-TNF therapy costs around £10,000 per patient a year, to be able to identify in advance which patients will respond to the treatment could lead to a substantial saving for the NHS. Those who will not gain any benefit could then be offered alterative treatment.
The Arthritis Research Campaign is the fourth largest medical research charity in the UK, raising more than £26m from public donations in the past 12 months to fund its extensive research programme. Leeds is a leading centre of arc-funded research, and Professor Emery is an internationally renowned expert in the early treatment of inflammatory arthritis.
