Because Research Will Beat Blood Cancer
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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.