Team praised for “game-changing” heart trial
A senior Addenbrooke’s early phase trials researcher has praised patients, staff and sponsors who backed a landmark trial which could be a “game changer” in the battle to prevent repeat heart attacks.
He spoke out after the remarkable results, and how they achieved them, were revealed at the largest cardiology conference globally in London on Friday (30 August).
The eagerly-awaited late-breaking session of the 30th European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress heard that after Addenbrooke’s and Royal Papworth patients took a re-purposed cancer drug called aldesleukin, it significantly reduced markers on inflammation on specialised PET-CT scans.
The results – gathered over four years including over the pandemic and involving 60 patients - provides the impetus to carry out larger studies to determine if the drug can be approved for mainstream use and support other therapies.
CUH consultant clinical pharmacologist, affiliated associate professor and trial chief investigator, Dr Joseph Cheriyan, said:
I would like to thank all those who have made this trial possible – world class university researchers, specialist clinicians, pharmacists, sponsors, and most of all the patients who volunteered.
All visits were conducted in our dedicated Cambridge Clinical Research Centre - which has some of the best facilities in the country and were scanned on our state-of-the-art PET-CT scanners.
All this was possible because of the huge investment of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) on our campus and in bringing together these specialist teams. The results could be game-changing.
Dr Joseph Cheriyan
The trial was conceived by BHF Professor of cardiovascular medicine, UoC, Ziad Mallat, who was the principal grant holder of the Medical Research Council grant together with Dr Cheriyan, Professor James Rudd and Dr Stephen Hoole at Royal Paworth Hospital. The Cambridge Clinical Trials Unit oversaw the conduct of the study.
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