Because Research Will Beat Blood Cancer

Because research will beat blood cancer

1 Blood Cancer UK Research Strategy “Research is at the heart of what we do as an organisation. Over the last 60 years, we have invested over £500 million in research and this has led to key research discoveries that have changed the lives of people affected by blood cancer. Thanks to this extraordinary progress, we believe it’s now possible to beat blood cancer in a generation. This research strategy will ensure our funds have the biggest impact possible for our community, and crucially that we reach the day when we beat it as soon as possible.” Gemma Peters, CEO of Blood Cancer UK

2 Blood Cancer UK Research Strategy Our research strategy in summary

The millions of pounds we invest in world We will also introduce a cross cutting class research each year, is all thanks to scheme, that will allow us to support Blood Cancer UK’s incredible community, initiatives and research programmes many of whom are personally affected by across blood cancers. blood cancer. Our shared goal is to beat blood cancer through research. Investing in partnership with other funders will facilitate greater impact from existing This research strategy sets out an blood cancer research spend and bring overarching approach to our future new investment into blood cancer research. research investment, and our short term priorities. These will always be guided by Blood Cancer UK has had a strong a focus on both impact, and what matters track record in funding for early career to people affected by blood cancer. researchers, and we will introduce a new fellowship scheme to support career We will fund across a diverse portfolio, development, to ensure the most talented allowing us to take risks, respond to researcher are supported to work in the emergent opportunities and partner with blood cancer field. others on common goals. This portfolio will include competitive project grant “We need to give people good years on the funding against a set of defined priorities. clock, as opposed to just number of years” Gordon Cook, Professor of Haematology & Myeloma Studies, University of Leeds

3 Blood Cancer UK Research Strategy Our vision & mission

We’re here to beat blood cancer, “If cancer research were a comet, blood and research will get us there. cancer research would be the brightest part at the leading edge. Many of the Over the last 60 years we have proved paradigm shifts in cancer research have that blood cancer research saves lives, come from research into blood cancer: but now we need to finish the job. We need to discover more about how blood chemotherapy, targeted therapies, cancers evolve, develop, and are best monoclonal antibodies, CAR-T…etc” treated. We need treatments with fewer Chris Bunce, Professor of Translational side effects and better outcomes for Cancer Biology, University of Birmingham people affected by blood cancer. We want a world where we can predict how It is also true that developments in blood a disease will progress, so that we can cancer have benefited other cancers and stop blood cancer in its tracks. Because biomedical science. In blood cancer, we’ve the more we understand it, the more lives identified the “cancer stem cell” responsible we can save. for generating a stream of cancer cells and causing drug resistance. Many cancer Blood Cancer UK is the largest sole blood researchers across the globe are now trying cancer research funder in the UK. Funding to find treatments that target these cells. research which has an impact across all blood cancers is particularly important As Blood Cancer UK we will always put part of our strategy. Blood cancers are what matters to people affected by blood interconnected, as is the experience of cancer first. We are in a unique position people affected by blood cancer and to bring together our community inculding the clinicians who treat them. researchers and health care professionals to invest in the best quality science that For example, chronic lymphocytic will lead to the advances in treatment and leukaemia (CLL) can transform to non- outcomes. Because we’re stronger together. Hodgkin lymphoma and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) to acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). We know from previous discoveries that new treatments in one blood cancer go on to work in others, for example CAR-T.

4 Blood Cancer UK Research Strategy Why create a research strategy and why now?

We have a long history of investing in Through the development of the research blood cancer research and a current grant strategy, we have identified areas of portfolio worth around £40 million. This scientific opportunity where our focused includes research projects, cell banks and investment will further accelerate research clinical trials. This research has led to huge progress. This will also enable us to develop developments in our understanding of blood partnerships, so that we can ensure the best cancers, but we know that we need to do possible outcomes for people with more if we’re going to beat blood cancer blood cancer. within a generation. This work began before the current Covid-19 In recent years we’ve seen step changes in pandemic. But the pandemic is likely to have the way blood cancers are diagnosed and a long-term impact on research. In the short treated. For example, identifying key genetic term, all funding organisations will have less switches has had a real impact on outcomes to invest and sadly, some researchers are for people affected by blood cancer. Recent exiting the field as a result. Blood Cancer UK advances in technology mean we can now needs to protect and support our research better analyse, understand and build on community. But there are likely to be longer previous scientific discoveries, providing term changes to research in the UK after a platform for the acceleration of the pandemic, so we need an approach to new treatments. funding research which is agile and flexible.

5 Blood Cancer UK Research Strategy How we developed our research strategy

Held ERG Research strategy Engaged an workshops on options reined into a Final Board of Expert Reference patient themes new set of options Trustees approval and recommendation Group (ERG) and prominent and sign oﬀ May 2020 scientiic themes December 2020 – January 2021 April 2021 August 2020 Identiied ive key Recruited a questions to High level option Patient Held PRP further develop the recommendation Reference workshops research strategy presented to Panel (PRP) to prioritise (explored with the Board April – May 2020 themes ERG and PRP) of Trustees July 2020 September – November January 2021 2020

Launched questionnaires to Analysed NCRI get feedback from funding data a broader range of Held 1-2-1 with ERG Research strategy alongside HMRN researchers and Recommended and PRP members to people aﬀected by option tested launched to statistics to look at research get their thoughts on Engaged all blood cancer with ERG and historic blood November 2020 Research community Blood Cancer UK’s stakeholders with June 2021 cancer funding Strategy Advisory potential research draft research trends Committee priorities strategy options (RSAC) April – August 2020 September – November June – July 2020 January 2021 2020

Over the last year, we’ve spoken to “Nothing about us without us, to quote researchers and people affected by blood the well-known phrase. Being involved in cancer to understand the top priorities and this process has helped me understand upcoming advances in research. Working just how important the patient voice is to collaboratively, we have developed a new strategy for our investment in research, Blood Cancer UK. We have been listened to one that we believe will accelerate the at every step and it has been an intensely rate of progress so people with blood rewarding process to be part of.” cancer can benefit sooner. Ally Boyle, diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in 2008 We brought together a group of people affected by blood cancer and a group of blood cancer researchers and clinicians for in depth discussions on potential priority areas for blood cancer research. We also ran online workshops to engage wider groups and ensure we received a diverse range of thoughts and opinions. We consulted broadly with the research community and people affected by blood cancer to ensure our decision making was grounded in the expertise of our communities.

6 Blood Cancer UK Research Strategy Our core strategic principles

Across our portfolio, Blood Cancer UK is “I’m currently in remission from Hodgkin committed to funding excellent quality lymphoma, and don’t know when to scientific research that will improve our be worried. I live with the fear and understanding of blood cancers, lead to worry of relapse.” the development of new treatments with Ruchi Shrivastava, diagnosed fewer side effects and will ensure that more people survive. As a result of the research with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2015 strategy development process, Blood Cancer UK will focus on doing five things: 4. Putting people affected by blood cancer at the heart of research 1. Working in partnership People affected by blood cancer have We will actively seek to work with other guided the development of this research charities, industry and partners who share strategy and we will continue to ensure their common goals, in the UK and internationally. voice is central to our research.

“Working in partnerships is so important to “Everyone’s blood cancer is their own, make the most of the funding available and everyone’s experience is different.” achieve more for patients” Katharine Harries, mother to Max, Irene Roberts, Professor of Paediatric diagnosed with acute myeloid Haematology, Oxford University leukaemia (AML) at 3 months

2. Driving innovation 5. Working collaboratively with Our researcher and patient community will researchers continue to shape our priorities. Our funding We will continue to work with researchers to approach will be agile to enable us to make sure our priorities are in line with new respond to emerging opportunities. discoveries and will have the biggest impact on people affected by blood cancer. It is “No one can predict the course of research, critical the very best people work on blood and as a result researchers need an avenue cancer research and so we will invest for funding that allows them to present in careers. innovative ideas, which might in turn uncover something ground-breaking” Tim Somervaille, Professor of Haematological Oncology, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute

3. Facilitating collaboration/ multi-disciplinary research There are many complex challenges in blood cancer research that will require ideas and expertise from multiple disciplines. We know a collaborative approach will be important in making a step change for people affected by blood cancer.

7 Blood Cancer UK Research Strategy Overview of our research portfolio

This diagram is a visual representation of our research portfolio. The relative sizes of each box represents the likely proportion of funding that will be allocated to this area. Further information on the timeline for implementation of each of these elements can be found on page 11.

Prioritised Grant Funding Scheme Description: Applications will be considered by our funding committee of blood cancer research experts, leaders in their fields across a range of disciplines. Our decision making processes will also include people affected by blood cancer. Grants will be approved for funding where they demonstrate alignment with our priorities (page 9) and are of high scientific quality.

Rationale: Enables us to continue to fund high quality projects, whilst allowing for scientific innovation, but prioritising identified areas.

Early Careers Strategic Investment Description: Joint funding Description: Investment in scheme with partner funder specific and strategic research to support early career opportunities that have the researchers. potential to transform the lives of people with blood cancer Rationale: Support the future of blood cancer researchers, Rationale: Blood Cancer UK such as emerging group is strategically positioned to leaders. connect donors and researchers.

Multidisciplinary Scheme Description: One funding call per year for multi-collaborative applications.

Rationale: Encourages research across multiple blood cancers and supports collaboration and the formation of broader blood cancer research teams.

Funding Partnerships Description: Blood Cancer UK will join with other funders to strategically combine funding in areas of specific need. Most recently, we have done this to support vaccine effectiveness research.

Rationale: Enables a specific scheme for partnership with other charities and funders, to encourage less duplication and target areas of need.

8 Blood Cancer UK Research Strategy Our priorities for this year (FY 2021/22)

This year, we will focus on three areas of 2. Improving treatment research investment, within our prioritised options for the individual grant funding scheme. including personalised approaches and immunotherapies, resulting in improved 1. Improving understanding of survival with fewer side effects (due to fundamental disease processes less toxic treatments). including underlying areas such as disease origin, transformation, and relapse, so that While many blood cancer treatments we can better predict, and in the future are successful in treating or controlling prevent, blood cancer. disease, many are toxic and can severely affect someone’s quality of life and leave To continue making progress, we need them with long-term side effects. We to gain a deeper understanding of how need to change this. We also need to and why blood cancer develops, evolves, better predict who will respond and becomes resistant to treatment, and returns why to treatments. in some patients. We need to understand more about the drivers of blood cancer such We want to use the knowledge we develop as blood cancer stem cells, the genetic basis of the basic biology (priority 1) to help of the disease and the mechanisms behind develop more personalised treatments. cancer progression. This research is a vital This is important to ensure everyone is on step in enabling us to develop new and the most appropriate treatment for them more personalised treatment for people as soon as possible and allow for a more with blood cancer. stratified approach, which will result in better outcomes, with as few side effects as possible. “I want to make a plea for basic biology, as there is still so much knowledge “Living with cancer or post treatment that is missing, knowledge which means frequently being left with long will in turn create improvements term side effects. There are some life- in diagnosis and treatment.” threatening late effects such as secondary Kate Robinson, follicular lymphoma patient cancers, heart disease ...etc. But there are other life-affecting consequences like “As someone living with and being treated infertility, fatigue, joint pains, neuropathy, for CLL, there will always be a constant sexual dysfunction, the psychological worry in my mind about my blood cancer impact, changes to appearance and transforming into Richter’s syndrome, self-confidence... many of which we a much more aggressive form of blood often just have to live with and aren’t cancer, with few treatment options.” given the deserved attention” Kieron Mayes, diagnosed with chronic Gillian Murphy, diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) in 2009 lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in 2013

9 Blood Cancer UK Research Strategy 3. Developing novel Inevitably, this also means that we will approaches to the use of data deprioritise some areas for funding. advancing our understanding through analysing large and rich data sets to Specifically, these are: facilitate benefits across blood cancers. • Applications that do not demonstrate alignment to the themes outlined above. Data is vital to improving disease outcomes and connecting the dots • Applications that are not committed to across blood cancers. As data ever consider involving or engaging people increases in complexity, so does its affected by blood cancer. analysis. But through better analysis and linkage we can learn about similarities • Clinical trials, unless in partnership with and differences between disease types. other funders, or where there are limited With this information we will be able other funding opportunities from for to stratify treatment approaches or example industry. re-purpose drugs more efficiently. • Further early careers support, such We will encourage applications that as PhD studentships. consider the use of large and richly layered data samples and/ or those which In order to respond to an ever-changing will help inform other studies approach to scientific environment, we will review these data. This may involve applicants linking priorities every 1 – 2 years. We will do this with existing data sources such as National collaboratively with people affected by Cancer Registration and Analysis Service blood cancer and scientific experts. (NCRAS), Haematological Malignancy Research Network (HMRN), or hubs like “Big data is the future and could be key Health Data Research UK, making use of in pushing cancer research forward” data already out there. Iain Matthews, diagnosed with follicular lymphoma in 2016 “I believe that data is and will be key to understand complicated issues when it comes to blood cancer. I would have no problems sharing my data if it could in turn help someone else in the future. I can only see benefits.” Kieron Mayes, diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)

10 Blood Cancer UK Research Strategy Implementing our research strategy

This financial year Next financial year From now onwards • One grant funding • Multi-disciplinary • Work in partnership round, aligned to the grant scheme set with other priority areas set out up and launched. organisations, above. Funding a small both in the UK and number of larger internationally, to • Joint fellowship projects bringing remove duplication, scheme with together experts share knowledge and partner funder. in multiple areas focus on shared goals to drive innovation and ambition. • Patient/ carer (e.g. in immunology, advisory panel set bioinformatics, • Identify and address up, with members data, epidemiology, the inequalities that involved in reviewing clinicians, basic sit in and across grant applications (lay scientists… etc). research sector and review) and Research within the research Funding Committee • Embed the voice we may fund. processes. of people affected by blood cancer • Encourage and • Deliver our current in all our research help our researchers partnerships and processes and to consider how nurture opportunities decision making. they will involve for new ones both and engage people nationally and • Put processes in affected by blood internationally. place to facilitate cancer in their work collaboration (through additions between us and our to all or applications researchers to ensure forms). the priority areas remain relevant to the ever-changing research landscape.

“We are at risk of losing a generation of blood cancer specific researchers, who have ever diminishing avenues to turn to for funding, with those who cannot get funding turning to other research areas or leaving research altogether” Adam Mead, Professor of Haematology, University of Oxford

11 Blood Cancer UK Research Strategy How will we know if we’ve been successful?

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a big • Discoveries leading to new treatments impact on medical research charities, being introduced. including Blood Cancer UK. Despite the financial impact of Covid-19, our • Discoveries enabling us to better predict/ vision of beating blood cancer within understand relapse and transformation. a generation is undimmed. • Discoveries leading to changes in We expect to fund a minimum of £25 treatments that mean fewer side million in research over the next five effects (both short and long term). years. Any further growth in our • Greater and better use of data. fundraising, will increase this total. • Patient & public involvement integrated We will monitor and measure our impact across blood cancer research. and expect to see things such as: • Discoveries leading to changes in • New investment into blood survival rates of people diagnosed cancer research. with blood cancer.

12 Blood Cancer UK Research Strategy How you can help?

If you are interested in funding If you have any questions about the research please contact the Partnership research strategy itself or are interested & Philanthropy Team by emailing in applying for funding from Blood Cancer [email protected], UK, please take a look at our website here or our Supporter Relations Team via or contact our research team by emailing phone on 0808 169 5155, and a member [email protected]. the team would be more than happy to assist you.

Thank you We would like to express our gratitude Dr Marc Mansour, Professor Mark Cragg, and thanks to our Research Strategy Patient Professor Michelle West, Professor Pamela Panel Members: Ally Boyle, Tom de Young, Kearns, Professor Paresh Vyas, Professor Camilla Ferguson, Yvonne Gabriel, Katharine Paul Moss, Professor Peter Hillmen, Professor Harries, Sandra Hinds, Iain Matthews, Kieron Sir Mel Greaves, Professor Tariq Enver and Mayes, Annetta Mcintosh, Gillian Murphy, Professor Tim Somervaille. With particular Kate Robinson, Ruchi Shrivastava, Tracy thanks to Professor Irene Roberts and Stephenson and Gemma Whiting. Professor Tim Somervaille as our Committee Chairs for their additional support and time. We would also like extend the same gratitude to our Expert Reference Group And share thanks with our Research Strategy Members: Professor Adam Mead, Professor Advisory Committee (RSAC) members; Dr Adele Fielding, Professor Eve Roman, Jane Stevens (Committee Chair and Trustee), Professor Ghulam Mufti, Professor Gordon Professor Frances Balkwill (Trustee), Dr Doug Cook, Professor Irene Roberts, Professor Brown and Dr Andrew Hall, who have served John Gribben, Professor Jude Fitzgibbon, as our independent advisors.

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13 Blood Cancer UK Research Strategy