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Wirral NHS Trust leads
the way in global fight against Alzheimer's
STAFF and patients at Wirral mental
health Trust CWP are taking part in a pioneering research programme that
could lead to a new way combat Alzheimer's.
Members of Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust's (CWP)
research team, led by Consultant Psychiatrist Joe Ferran, along with 6 local
service users, are working with Swiss pharmaceutical and research company AC
Immune to trial a brand new vaccine that inhibits the growth of the
neurofibrillary tangles in the brain (a typical characteristic of the
disease) and aims to slow the cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease.
CWP is working closely with colleagues in the Clinical Research Unit at
Royal Liverpool Hospital to provide the trial therapy to 6 Wirral-based
patients. This is a significant number of the programme's overall patient
cohort, which includes just ten in the UK and 24 globally. If successful,
the vaccine, called ACI-35, could pave the way for a simple jab that slows
the effects of the disease.
Dr Anushta Sivananthan, Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Director at CWP,
said:- "I am delighted that CWP is able to be at the forefront of such
international research. There are currently over 850,000 people in the UK
living with dementia, and Alzheimer's makes up 62% of these cases. Research
into this field is absolutely vital, and as an NHS Trust we are committed to
working in partnership to do all we can to support research and innovation
in this area as well as provide care to existing sufferers."
Pat Mottram, CWP Research and Effectiveness Manager, said:- "We had to
screen over 1500 people to ensure we found suitable people for this study.
We have just finished recruiting for this phase of the trial. If the results
look promising then we will be recruiting further patients in late summer."
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