University of London

10 scientists have been selected for OHC's first annual award to advance academic discoveries into clinical practice for rare diseases OXFORD, United Kingdom and CLEVELAND, Oct. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre – a partnership between the University of Oxford, UK and Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio – today announces the first class of Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Scholars. The scholar awards will support breakthrough treatments for rare and ultra-rare diseases across neurologic, oncologic, and metabolic disease areas, using small molecule, nucleic acid, viral, and cellular therapies. The recipients represent institutions across the UK, US, and Canada. The OHC brings together world-leading research, expertise in therapeutics development and new financial models to advance solutions to critical challenges in rare diseases. Each Scholar will receive £100,000 (UK) / $100,000 (US and Canada), personalised therapeutics development support from industry experts to help bring new therapeutics to market, and the opportunity to receive acceleration and investment funds of up to £1,000,000 based on project milestones. Matthew Wood, MD, PhD, Director and Chief Scientific Officer of the OHC, commented: "This first cohort of OHC Scholars is a testament to the outstanding quality of proposals we received from academics at institutions across the UK and North America. The breadth and standard of research into innovative approaches to treat rare diseases made our selection process very difficult, with successful proposals representing breakthrough discoveries defined by innovation, creativity and potential for clinical impact. Our congratulations go to the 2024 OHC Scholars and our sincere thanks go to all who submitted proposals – their continued efforts to make a meaningful difference for patients in need and their families are an inspiration to us all." Jonathan S. Stamler, MD, President of Harrington Discovery Institute, added: "By supporting each OHC Scholar with funding and an experienced therapeutics development team, we are maximising the potential of their discoveries to advance into the clinic. We have seen success with this approach at Harrington Discovery Institute and we are excited about replicating the model at the OHC. I look forward to seeing the progress of these innovative initiatives and sharing their advancements as the OHC continues to work towards providing scalable solutions to address the rare disease challenge globally." The 2024 OHC Rare Disease Scholar Award recipients, their organisations and fields of research are: Jacquelyn Bower, PhD – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA Novel viral gene therapy to treat lethal rare eye tumours Louis Chesler, MD, PhD – Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK Regulatable cell therapies to treat brain cancers Charles Gersbach, PhD – Duke University, Durham, NC, USA Reprogramming immune cells for treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma Xianxin Hua, MD, PhD – University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA A new cellular strategy for treating acute myeloid leukaemia Michele Jacob, PhD – Tufts University School of Medicine, Medford, MA, USA A drug to treat brain abnormalities caused by CTNNB1 defects, an ultra-rare disease Bowen Li, PhD – University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada A nucleic acid therapy to treat cystic fibrosis, an inherited lung disease Michael Pacold, MD, PhD – New York University, New York City, NY, USA Drugs restoring brain function in rare metabolic diseases Carlo Rinaldi, MA, MD, PhD – University of Oxford, Oxford, UK Nucleic acid therapy for spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), a rare X-linked neuromuscular condition Timothy Yu, MD, PhD – Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Custom DNA-based therapy for a rare genetic disorder (PEX1 Zellweger Syndrome) Haiyan Zhou, MD, PhD – University College London, London, UK Nucleic acid therapy to treat loss of sensation and paralysis caused by a rare mutation For those interested in submitting a proposal for the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Scholar Award, the next funding call will open on the 15th of January 2025. For more information, visit: OxfordHarrington.org/funding/overview SOURCE Harrington Discovery Institute WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

KINGSTON, N.Y., Oct. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, John R. Froude, MD, FRCP is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Lifetime Member for his contributions in Infectious Diseases with Expertise and Dedication. Continue Reading John R Froude, MD, FRCP Dr. John R. Froude, MD, FRCP, stands at the forefront of infectious disease management in Kingston, NY. He specializes in comprehensive care for conditions such as Lyme disease, HIV, and various viral and bacterial infections, including COVID-19. With a commitment to patient education and public health advocacy, Dr. Froude provides unparalleled expertise and compassionate care to his patients. A distinguished physician with a robust background in global health, Dr. Froude completed his MD and residency in internal medicine at Guy's Hospital, University of London, UK. His early career took him to Nigeria, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, where he conducted groundbreaking research before furthering his experience in Saudi Arabia and Rockefeller University. He completed his fellowship in infectious disease at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, solidifying his expertise in the field. Board-certified in internal medicine and infectious disease, Dr. Froude brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Medical Associates of the Hudson Valley. His career highlights include significant contributions during the AIDS epidemic at NYU/Bellevue, where he made substantial strides in infectious disease management and patient care. Dr. Froude is also an accomplished author, having published two non-fiction works, "Plagued" and "True Lyme," which contribute to the public understanding of infectious diseases and their impact on global health. An active member of the American Medical Association (AMA) and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (UK), Dr. Froude remains committed to advancing medical knowledge and patient outcomes. His philosophy revolves around patient-centered care, public health advocacy, and the continuous advancement of infectious disease management and prevention strategies. Looking forward, Dr. Froude's future goals include expanding his research efforts, further educating the public on infectious disease prevention and management, and potentially increasing his involvement in global health initiatives. His dedication to improving healthcare and patient outcomes continues to drive his contributions to the field of infectious diseases. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE The Inner Circle WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

The Precision of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT), an Advanced Treatment Technique, Enables Treatment in Five Days, Significantly Reducing the Time Men Must Spend Undergoing Care MADISON, Wis., Oct. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Accuray Incorporated (NASDAQ: ARAY) announced today that results of the PACE-B – Prostate Advances in Comparative Evidence – trial were published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). The research builds on previously reported data and shows that at five years, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) provides comparable rates of cancer control, tolerability and sexual functioning to conventional radiotherapy (CRT), while reducing the overall treatment timeframe from up to 39 days of treatment to just five days. The Accuray CyberKnife® System was used in the SBRT treated arm of the PACE-B study and showed excellent disease control with low rates of toxicity for men with prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in men, with almost 1.5 million new cases identified worldwide in 20221. While it is typically a slow-growing and manageable disease, it's important that men have access to treatment options, such as SBRT delivered using the CyberKnife System, that can not only manage the cancer but also enable them to get back to a healthy, full life, faster. SBRT uses advanced techniques to deliver ultra-hypofractionated radiation therapy – very high doses of radiation are given over a few days – necessitating an extremely high degree of targeting accuracy and precision. The PACE-B trial enrolled men with low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer who received SBRT in either five sessions or CRT in 20 or 39 sessions. Chief Investigator Professor Nicholas van As, Medical Director and Consultant Clinical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, and Professor in Precision Prostate Radiotherapy at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: "At The Royal Marsden and the ICR, we are focused on developing smarter, better and kinder treatments for patients across the UK and internationally. Standard radiation treatment is already highly effective and is very well tolerated in people with localized prostate cancer but for a healthcare system and for patients, to have this treatment delivered just as effectively in five days as opposed to four weeks is hugely significant. "To be able to sit with a patient and say, 'We can treat you with a low toxicity treatment in five days, and your chance of keeping the cancer at bay for five years is 96 percent,' is a very positive conversation to have. We expect our trial to be practice changing and people with intermediate risk prostate cancer should be given the option of SBRT as an alternative to conventional radiation or prostate surgery." SBRT: Comparable Results to Conventional Radiotherapy in 75 Percent Less Time Both groups attained high rates of cancer control at five years, with similar rates of 94.6 percent for CRT and 95.8 percent for SBRT achieved without the use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), also known as "hormone therapy." SBRT was well-tolerated and treatment-related impairment (such as urinary, bowel and sexual function) and bother were comparable to CRT. "Bother" refers to the annoyance that patients experience because of a decline in their ability to perform certain functions. At five years, 29.1 percent of men treated with CRT and 26.4 percent of men receiving SBRT reported erectile dysfunction, while participants in both groups stated they had stable urinary and bowel symptoms at this time point. "As a radiation oncologist who has had the privilege of treating numerous men with prostate cancer, I am grateful that the medical community continues to invest resources into refining our approach to this common diagnosis. The results of the PACE-B trial are published in one of the premier medical journals and are a game-changer. They provide the most compelling level of data to date in support of prostate SBRT for early-stage disease, and directly inform the standard of care. This trial empowers men who require or prefer radiation treatment to utilize SBRT, a technique that not only offers highly effective cancer therapy, but also significantly reduces the disruption to their lives compared to traditional schedules. This trial represents a crucial step forward in improving medical care and enhancing the quality of life for men diagnosed with prostate cancer," said Seth Blacksburg, M.D., MBA, Chief Medical Officer at Accuray. Continued Dr. Blacksburg, "The CyberKnife® System is supported by more than 30 years of global clinical data, including the results from the PACE-B trial. The system equips medical care teams to treat prostate cancer with tremendous confidence, assuring them of a tool that consistently delivers extremely accurate treatments. This reliability not only enhances the likelihood of successful outcomes but also minimizes potential side effects, providing an optimal approach to curing this common medical condition." The prostate gland can move unpredictably and rapidly throughout the treatment, sometimes moving as much as 10 mm in as little as 30 seconds due to normal patient bodily functions2,3,4,5. The ability to track, detect and correct for this motion is key to ensuring the radiation is delivered to the tumor. Throughout the course of treatment, the CyberKnife System continually collects images to determine exactly where the tumor is, helping to ensure that clinicians deliver radiation exactly where they want it. The system detects the tumor motion and automatically adjusts the radiation beam in real time to match the motion of the tumor, giving clinicians confidence to apply smaller treatment margins and enabling higher doses and fewer treatments. The CyberKnife System is the only radiotherapy device that can track and automatically correct for prostate motion and maintain sub-millimeter accuracy throughout treatment delivery. About the PACE-B Trial The PACE trial data provides level 1 clinical evidence – the strongest level of evidence on which to guide practice changes. PACE-B is a prospective, randomized trial conducted in 35 centers in the UK, Canada and Ireland, comparing five-fraction SBRT to conventionally fractionated or moderately hypofractionated external beam radiotherapy (CFMHRT) for localized prostate cancer. The PACE-B trial is funded by Accuray, sponsored by The Royal Marsden and coordinated by the Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit at The Institute of Cancer Research, London (ICR-CTSU). Of the 874 patients enrolled, data up to five years on 874 patients treated with radiotherapy were analyzed; 433 receiving SBRT and 441 standard radiotherapy. Forty-one percent of men treated with SBRT in the study received treatment using the CyberKnife platform. About Accuray Accuray is committed to expanding the powerful potential of radiation therapy to improve as many lives as possible. We invent unique, market-changing solutions designed to deliver radiation treatments for even the most complex cases—while making commonly treatable cases even easier—to meet the full spectrum of patient needs. We are dedicated to continuous innovation in radiation therapy for oncology, neuro-radiosurgery, and beyond, as we partner with clinicians and administrators, empowering them to help patients get back to their lives, faster. Accuray is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, with facilities worldwide. To learn more, visit or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube. Media Contact Beth Kaplan Public Relations Director, Accuray +1 (408) 789-4426 [email protected] 1 World Cancer Research Fund International. 2 Drexler and Furweger. "Quality assurance of a robotic, image guided radiosurgery system." WC 2009, IFMBE Proceedings 25/I, 492-495, 2009. 3 Kilby W, Dooley JR, Kuduvalli G, Sayeh S, Maurer CR. The CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery System in 2010. Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment. 2010;9(5):433-452. doi:10.1177/153303461000900502. 4 Yu C, Main W, Taylor D, Kuduvalli G, Apuzzo ML, Adler JR Jr. An anthropomorphic phantom study of the accuracy of Cyberknife spinal radiosurgery. Neurosurgery. 2004 Nov;55(5):1138-49. doi: 10.1227/01.neu.0000141080.54647.11. PMID: 15509320. 5 Antypas C, Pantelis E. Performance evaluation of a CyberKnife G4 image-guided robotic stereotactic radiosurgery system. Phys Med Biol. 2008 Sep 7;53(17):4697-718. doi: 10.1088/0031-9155/53/17/016. Epub 2008 Aug 11. PMID: 18695294. SOURCE Accuray Incorporated WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED