A programme to test cancer patients for 97 genes that increase cancer risk will be piloted at a London hospital and funded by the Wellcome Trust.

The tests, which will start with women who have breast or ovarian cancer in 2014, aim to make genetic risk testing a standard feature of NHS cancer treatment.

The results will be used to select targeted drugs, and could influence other treatment decisions such as the extent of surgery.

Knowledge of genetic risks could also affect the health decisions of relatives of cancer patients.

The testing programme, which will be run by the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, is the first attempt to use mass genetic risk testing as a core aspect of cancer treatment.

Genetic mutations are responsible for 15% of ovarian cancers and around 2% of all cancers. The BRAC gene mutation in women increases the risk of breast cancer to as high as 80%.

The genetic tests were developed by biotechnology company Illumina.

According to Prof. Nazneen Rahman, lead investigator of the programme, knowledge of genetic risk factors “allows more personalised treatment, so for example such people are often at risk of getting another cancer and may choose to have more comprehensive surgery, or may need different medicines, or extra monitoring.”

Prof. Peter Johnson, chief clinician at Cancer Research UK, said: “This exciting new initiative will help embed genetic testing into routine NHS cancer care, and hopefully allow more cancer patients to benefit from genetic testing – and more personalised care – in the future.”

Regular marijuana use reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a US study based on the National Health and Nutrition Survey.

Data for 2005–2010 show that people who reported recent marijuana use had 16% lower fasting insulin and lower insulin resistance.

The finding will strengthen the case for the medical use of marijuana, already licensed in 19 US states for use under conditions that avoid the health risks of smoking and excessive intake of the drug.

A synthetic form of its active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is available in pill form and avoids the negative respiratory effects of smoking, as well as making doses easier to control.

The national survey covered 4,657 people. Participants answered questions about their drug use and gave fasting blood samples.

The link between marijuana use and markers of low type 2 diabetes risk (lower fasting insulin and insulin resistance) was stronger where the drug use was recent (within a month).

People with diagnosed type 2 diabetes were excluded from the data analysis, as their dietary patterns were likely to have been influenced by treatment.

Joseph S. Alpert, Editor-in-Chief of The American Journal of Medicine, commented: “We desperately need a great deal more basic and clinical research into the short- and long-term effects of marijuana in a variety of clinical settings such as cancer, diabetes, and frailty of the elderly.”

Immunocore Ltd, an Oxfordshire-based biotechnology company, has appointed Eva-Lotta Allan as Chief Business Officer.

The role has been newly created to strengthen the company’s management team as it develops and commercialises innovative treatments for serious diseases, based on its immunity-strengthening drug platform.

Ms Allan brings two decades’ worth of experience in business development with successful biotech and pharmaceutical companies.

Immunocore’s ImmTAC platform is a T cell receptor technology that uses the body’s immune system to identify and kill diseased cells.

The company is developing a portfolio of drugs from this platform to treat cancer, diabetes and chronic infectious diseases. Its melanoma drug IMCgp100 is undergoing clinical trials in the UK and the US.

Ms Allan joins from biotech company Ablynx NV, where she has served as Chief Business Officer since 2006, contributing to its growth from a small private platform company to a significant public company.

As CBO of Ablynx, Ms Allan closed deals with leading pharmaceutical companies worth over €160m.

Previously, Ms Allan was Senior Director of Business Development and Site Operations (Europe) at Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

James Noble, CEO of Immunocore, said: “I am pleased to welcome Eva-Lotta to our senior Management team and Board of Directors at this critical point for Immunocore as we expand and develop our pipeline of products. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience in business development.”

“I am delighted to be joining Immunocore at this exciting time,” commented Ms Allan. “I have been impressed by the quality of the science and unique and broad application of ImmTACs in cancer. I look forward to working with the Immunocore team and to establishing strategically important collaborations.”

Scottish author Iain Banks has only months to live, following a diagnosis of late-stage cancer.

Banks, author of such ground-breaking contemporary novels as The Crow Road and Complicity, has said that his forthcoming novel The Quarry will be his last.

Writing on his personal website, Banks said he had been diagnosed with cancer of the gall bladder that had spread too far to be operable.

The option of chemotherapy was still being considered, he said, with “pros and cons” to be balanced.

“From my GP onwards, the professionalism of the medics involved – and the speed with which the resources of the NHS in Scotland have been deployed – has been exemplary, and the standard of care deeply impressive,” Banks commented. “We’re all just sorry the outcome hasn’t been more cheerful.”

From The Wasp Factory (1984) to Stonemouth (2012), Banks’ novels have dealt with such themes as crime, alienation, mortality and injustice. He has been acclaimed as one of the great humanist writers of his generation.

As Iain M. Banks, he has also written a series of science fiction novels exploring the practical, political and ethical challenges of the future.

Four UK pharmaceutical and biotechnology SMEs have won the opportunity to promote their innovations at BIO 2013 in Chicago (22–25 April).

The winners of the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) Innovation Competition are Abcodia, Critical Pharmaceuticals, Nanomerics and PsiOxus Therapeutics.

The companies will receive £1,500 towards flights and accommodation, and a year’s free membership of the BioIndustry Association (BIA).

The UKTI Innovation Competition, open to life science SMEs in the UK, highlights excellence in groundbreaking technologies for a global audience.

As the world’s largest biotechnology event, attended by delegates from more than 65 countries, the BIO Convention represents a major opportunity for small UK companies to make contacts.

Abcodia (London) discovers and validates biomarkers for the early detection and screening of cancer. Critical Pharmaceuticals (Nottingham) is developing a pipeline of recombinant protein and peptide therapies, using patented drug delivery technologies. Nanomerics (London) is a speciality pharmaceutical company that uses patented nanotechnology to boost the performance of known drugs. PsiOxus Therapeutics (Oxfordshire) is developing novel therapies for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Gareth King, CEO of Critical Pharmaceuticals, said: “We have recently announced the results of a second clinical study on our intranasal growth hormone product demonstrating clinical proof of concept, and look forward to meeting with commercial partners at BIO 2013 to progress the product into phase 2/3 clinical development.”

“Nanomerics is delighted to be able to showcase to a global audience its Molecular Envelope Technology, which boosts the activity of drugs and gets them where they need to be,” explained Andreas Schatzlein, CEO of Nanomerics. “In a time of undiminished medical need and increasing economic pressure it is crucial that we make the most of the drug compounds that we already understand.”

The European Organisation for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) has given its annual Company Award for medical innovation in rare diseases to Celgene.

The award recognises the biotech firm’s leading position in the treatment of orphan diseases, as well as its dialogue with patient groups.

Celgene has 17 orphan drug designations from the EMA, including products to treat types of leukaemia and myeloma, and is currently developing products to treat 45 rare diseases.

Orphan diseases are defined by the EMA as conditions affecting no more than five per 10,000 people. ‘Orphan drugs’ developed to treat them have a special regulatory status.

EURORDIS is the largest European patient organisation in the field of rare diseases. Its awards recognise outstanding contributions by companies, researchers and others to reducing the impact of rare diseases on people’s lives.

“We are honoured to receive the EURORDIS Company Award for our work in rare diseases, which is a testament to the strong partnerships we have throughout Europe with the people focused on treatment options for some of the most difficult-to-study and difficult-to-treat conditions,” said Stefano Portolano, Celgene’s Vice President for Haematology, Europe.

“In the nearly 13 years since the Orphan Drug Regulation was enacted, there has been growing recognition of the need for treatments for rare diseases that help patients live longer and higher quality lives. Celgene is proud to be recognised for its contributions in this area.”

Yann Le Cam, CEO of EURORDIS, commented: “We are proud that the rare disease community is becoming a model for multi-stakeholder partnership and international collaboration as well as for solidarity and unity throughout Europe.”

Celgene Corporation, based in the US with a European subsidiary based in Switzerland, specialises in developing drugs to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases through gene and protein regulation.

Taking insulin to control type 2 diabetes may increase the risk of developing serious complications, a new study suggests.

An epidemiological study based on the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) has shown that type 2 diabetes patients taking insulin are at higher risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer and retinopathy than those taking oral medications.

The study follows a population-based study that showed people with type 2 diabetes treated with insulin had a 50% higher mortality rate than people treated with a widely prescribed alternative.

Researchers from Cardiff University’s School of Medicine used CRPD data, which covers about 10% of the UK population, to compare the mortality rates of people whose type 2 diabetes is treated in different ways.

Lead study author Professor Craig Currie noted that the use of insulin to control blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes has grown “markedly” in recent years. However, he noted, “By reviewing data from CPRD between 1999 and 2011 we’ve confirmed there are increased health risks for patients with type 2 diabetes who take insulin to manage their condition.”

Type 1 diabetes requires treatment with insulin, but type 2 diabetes – which often occurs in older and overweight people – can be treated in a number of ways depending on the patient’s characteristics.

“This study shows that we need to investigate this matter urgently, and the drug regulatory authorities should take interest in this issue,” Professor Currie added.

A previous study of UK patients taking insulin to control type 2 diabetes found a 50% higher mortality rate than with an oral drug therapy.

However, it should be noted that those patients with type 2 diabetes put on insulin are likely to have the worst diabetes control prior to insulin therapy.

NHS chemotherapy services are being stretched to the limit by the combination of increased demand and reduced funding, a new report from Roche warns.

The drug company has published The Cancer Capacity Challenge, which argues that new systems to deliver chemotherapy more rapidly and cheaply are needed.

Over 70% of oncology specialist nurses, responding to questions from their colleagues, said lack of capacity to deliver the service was harming care.

The report says that improvements in diagnosis and treatment have increased the life expectancy of patients with cancer – but this in turn has increased the level of demand for services.

According to oncology specialist nurses surveying the views of their colleagues:

• 71% believe patient care is suffering from lack of NHS capacity in chemotherapy

• 76% believe waiting times for chemotherapy are set to increase

• 67% said their day units are fully stretched or over-full.

The incidence of cancer in the UK has increased by 20% in men and 40% in women over the last 30 years, due primarily to the ageing population.

The CCC report recommends that the capacity of chemotherapy services could be increased by treating more patients at home or in primary care.

To facilitate this, Roche argued, there is a need for chemotherapy drugs that can be administered more quickly and easily in a range of settings. The report suggests that Roche may be planning new products in this important area.

Kate Denby, Haematology Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Royal Exeter and Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The steps involved in each patient visit can take as long as seven hours. Patients usually prefer shorter visits to hospital for their chemotherapy treatment, so it’s essential that we are able to find solutions that help improve the patient experience.”

Roche’s Avastin (bevacizumab) has not been recommended by NHS in draft guidance as a treatment option for advanced ovarian cancer.

Although NICE confirmed the clinical benefits of the treatment it claimed its high cost was too much to justify its use on the NHS.

Sir Andrew Dillon, NICE Chief Executive, said evidence supplied by Roche “did not show that bevacizumab justifies its very high cost and could not be recommended.”

Avastin was analysed as a treatment option in women whose cancer had returned six months or more after initial treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy.

Ovarian cancer is among the top five most common cancers in women in the UK. In 2010, there were more than 7,000 new cases diagnosed.

NICE’s Appraisal Committee found Avastin may help the delay of cancer in patients for a limited time. But determined its cost was too much to expect the NHS to pay.

“We understand there are limited treatment options available to women with recurrent advanced ovarian cancer and it is always disappointing when we are not able to recommend a treatment,” said Sir Andrew. “However, it is important to remember that there are other treatments already available in the NHS for treating this condition.”

A new Tumour Profiling Unit at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London will spearhead research into ‘personalised’ medicine and drug resistance in cancers.

The new research centre, the largest of its kind in the NHS, will analyse tumour cell DNA to pinpoint the critical mutations that cause cancer.

The aim is to develop many ‘personalised’ drugs, such as Herceptin, that can attack cancers with a specific genetic characteristic.

Tumour samples from patients at the Royal Marsden Hospital will be repeatedly tested to identify the genetic mechanisms underlying tumour development and drug resistance.

The Tumour Profiling Unit will also store the genetic codes of cancer patients, and make the findings available to doctors and pharmaceutical companies.

Professor Alan Ashworth, the ICR’s Director, said: “None of this is science fiction. This is now happening. We think we’re pioneering the clinical application of this by setting up the Tumour Profiling Unit, but one would think this would be absolutely routine practice for every cancer patient – and that’s what we’re aiming to bring about.”

Professor Ashworth compared cancer treatment to the game ‘Whack-a-Mole’: every time a cancer drug is successful, tumours develop resistance to it. The new research unit aims to find treatments that can stop the cancer evolving.

According to a recent DH announcement, the entire genetic code of up to 100,000 NHS patients with cancer and rare diseases will shortly be sequenced to facilitate research.