North Midlands CRDC recruits first patient to landmark stroke trial
The North Midlands Clinical Research Delivery Centre (CRDC), based at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM), has recruited its first patient, and the first in the UK, to join a new trial to improve outcomes following a stroke.
The global ReMEDy2 stroke trial is being delivered at the Royal Stoke University Hospital in partnership with UHNM’s stroke service and research and innovation (R&I) teams.
The study is evaluating DM199, a new treatment for patients who have had an acute ischaemic stroke and are unable to receive standard clot-busting therapy within the recommended time window.
Professor Christine Roffe, principal investigator and consultant acute stroke physician, said: “For many stroke patients treatment options are limited by time, as standard clot-busting drugs must be given within hours of symptom onset. Patients who arrive outside this window often have no further treatment available.
“ReMEDy2 is testing whether DM199 can be safely and effectively administered up to 24 hours after symptoms begin, with the aim of widening access to treatment and improving recovery outcomes.”
Surabhi Saxena, senior research practitioner, said: “This study is intensive, with close monitoring by our teams during the infusion, 21 days of injections and regular follow-ups and working alongside doctors, nurses as well as pharmacy and pathology colleagues to deliver the treatment safely.”
Lynn Doherty, 65, from Bradley became the North Midlands CRDC’s first recruited patient after experiencing a stroke while at work on 7 January.
Lynn, a former NHS domestic worker who also became the first patient in the UK to join the ReMEDy2 stroke trial, said: “I was at work mopping the floor when the left side of my body suddenly went numb and tingly. I knew I was going to fall, so I managed to get to a chair and called an ambulance.
“I was brought to the Royal Stoke’s Emergency Department where I was assessed and identified as eligible for the ReMEDy2 trial. The care on the day and since has been excellent, I can’t fault it.
“Saying yes to the trial was about helping people in the future who might benefit from this treatment. If it becomes a standard therapy one day it could make a real difference. You also get extra monitoring and support, but my main reason was to help others.
“Everything has run very smoothly. The team organised transport, kept my family informed and looked after us very well. I’d say to anyone in a similar situation to say yes to research. It doesn’t hurt, it’s no detriment to you and you’re helping future patients.”
Funded through £3.1 million of government investment, the North Midlands CRDC forms part of a UK-wide initiative of 21 CRDCs to improve the NHS’s ability to deliver high-quality research whilst improving health outcomes.
Visveswaran Mallayan, CRDC manager, said: “This first recruitment marks an important step for the CRDC, demonstrating our ability to deliver complex, time-critical commercial trials and provide patients with early access to potentially life-changing treatments.
“Recruiting our first patient is a major milestone for the North Midlands CRDC. It reflects the hard work and proactive approach of our set-up teams, research delivery colleagues and clinical investigators.
“The fact that this patient is also the first in the UK on this trial makes it even more special. We now have more commercial studies up and running, as well as others in set-up across neurology and other areas all helping UHNM continue to deliver high-quality research and giving more patients access to new treatments close to home.”
Surabhi added: “To recruit our first North Midlands CRDC patient, and for that patient to also be the first in the UK, is something we are incredibly proud of. It shows what can be achieved when clinical and research teams work closely together.”