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Manchester researchers awarded £1 million to test potential life-saving technology for early detection of liver cancer
Professor Rick Body, Group Director of Research and Innovation at MFT, said: “We are delighted to receive this funding and very proud to deliver this important research at MFT. Early diagnosis of cancer provides the best chance for successful treatment, which is why implementing this innovative test is so important. We are hopeful that this research will have a huge impact on the future of diagnosis for HCC and will ultimately save lives.”
Professor Neil Hanley, Vice-Dean for Research and Innovation at UoM said: “This new innovative test is a really exciting development and further compelling evidence that if we pull on our strength working across university, NHS and commercial boundaries we will translate research into innovations that make a real difference to people’s lives.”
Dr Annie Keane, Deputy Director of Vocal, hosted by MFT and UoM, said: “We’re delighted to support this vital project to bring about better outcomes for people with liver cancer. We’ve worked with the public to develop the funding bid from an early stage. We’ll continue to work in partnership with patients and the public to ensure they are meaningfully involved throughout, including the implementation of the test, as members of the core project team.”
Chris Hudson, Director of Access and Innovation at Roche Diagnostics UK and Ireland said: “We are thrilled this funding award from NHS England gives us the opportunity to build on the trusted partnership we already have with colleagues in Manchester and the important work we are doing together to identify liver disease more accurately and sooner. By bringing together the collective knowledge and expertise of academic, medical and industry partners, this new project has the potential to streamline the diagnosis and treatment pathway for patients with liver cancer across the UK, to improve their experience and outcomes, and help alleviate pressure on the NHS.”
Work to rollout Elecsys®GAAD will be supported by Health Innovation Manchester, in partnership with the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Findings from the implementation of the test at MFT will be used to co-develop a plan for the national roll out of the technology. This is supported by National Institute for Health and Care Research London MedTech In Vitro Diagnostics Co-operative, Imperial College London – who are observing the impact of the new technology on the NHS and Unity Insights who are carrying out an independent evaluation of the findings across the project.
This work was commissioned and funded by the NHS Cancer Programme, with the support of SBRI Healthcare and the NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative (Project Reference Number NCPC02013). The views expressed in the publication are those of the author and not necessarily those of the NHS Cancer Programme or its stakeholders.
