Researchers at the University of Birmingham have secured £230,000 in funding from Cancer Research Horizons to develop a new blood test for monitoring individuals at risk of multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. At-risk patients currently have regular blood tests, and the hope is that the new test will reduce the burden on the NHS as well as being more convenient for patients and allowing earlier treatment where necessary.
Led by Dr Jennifer Heaney and Dr Sian Faustini, in conjunction with Dr Tracey Chan, the project is part of a broader picture of the University of Birmingham's research into myeloma. It's great to see the University of Birmingham, and the West Midlands more widely, remaining at the forefront of medical innovation.
The research team and the university will need to consider how best to protect their intellectual property in the new test. They may decide to file one or more patent applications, in which case it will be important to do this before the technical details of the test are published.
the new test is positioned as a means of ameliorating the burdens associated with MGUS monitoring, in turn rendering the process more efficient and convenient for patients and the NHS.
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