The Health and Social Care Secretary has announced over £175 million funding to boost genomics research in the UK.
Through this funding, the government aims to create the most advanced genomic healthcare system in the world.
"Patients with cancer and children born with treatable rare genetic diseases are set to benefit from earlier diagnosis and faster access to treatment, following a
£175 million boost to cutting-edge genomics research announced by the Health and Social Care Secretary today (Tuesday)," said DHSC.
The funding will enable research which could deliver world-leading genomic healthcare to patients, which involves the study of people's DNA.
"£105 million to be funded to kickstart a world-leading research study, led by Genomics England in partnership with the NHS, to explore the effectiveness of using
whole genome sequencing to find and treat rare genetic diseases in newborn babies," said DHSC.
"An initial £26 million to support an innovative cancer programme, led by Genomics England in partnership with the NHS, to evaluate cutting-edge genomic sequencing
technology to improve the accuracy and speed of diagnosis for cancer patients and use artificial intelligence to analyse a person's DNA, alongside other information
such as routine scans.
Pharmacy professionals to be included as key stakeholders in the implementation, delivery and evaluation of a wide range of genomic services, said the Royal
Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).
RPS's statement has been developed in collaboration with pharmacy organisations who have co-badged the report, such as the British Oncology Pharmacy Association,
the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association, Association of Pharmacy Technicians and the College of Mental Health Pharmacy.
It looks at current and future roles for pharmacy professionals in genomic medicine across many aspects of practice such as person-centred care and collaboration,
professional practice, education, leadership, management and research.
Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in the UK have already established roles in the application of genomic medicine in some areas of practice, such as antimicrobial
stewardship and infectious diseases, and the management of certain genetic conditions, such as cystic fibrosis.
The society believes, the current role of pharmacy professionals in genomics can be expanded upon in the future to both lead and support many relevant aspects of
genomic implementation. These are described across all healthcare sectors, within the Genome UK strategy produced by the UK Government, and within the implementation
plans published in England, Scotland and Wales.
Lead for Pharmacogenomics at RPS Sophie Harding said: "Pharmacy professionals are the gatekeepers of medication safety and efficacy across all areas of healthcare.
They are skilled at interpreting complex scientific data and use evidence-based medicine to maximise the benefits of treatments for patients, whilst supporting
shared decision-making with patients and the multidisciplinary team.
NHS England is set to roll out a new test this week that will help doctors to spot a rare form of eye cancer in babies in the womb.
The NHS test developed at Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, identifies the risk of developing retinoblastoma in babies that can be monitored
and treated sooner - increasing the chance of saving their eyesight and potentially their lives.
The new non-invasive test can detect changes in the genes in DNA and is likely to identify around 50 infants with retinoblastoma each year, in the latest example
of the NHS harnessing the power of genomics to diagnose and treat patients faster and more effectively.
Non-Invasive Prenatal Diagnosis (NIPD) also means parents can be informed early in pregnancy if their child is at risk.
"The blood sample test is taken from the mother before birth and tested and analysed for mutations, which can determine with almost 100 per cent accuracy if the baby will develop retinoblastoma," the NHS said.
Reacting to recommendations from a UK-first independent review, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has outlined action to tackle potential
bias in the design and use of medical devices.
Professor Dame Margaret Whitehead, professor of public health at the University of Liverpool, was appointed to lead the review, which focused on three
areas - optical devices such as pulse oximeters, AI-enabled devices, and polygenic risk scores (PRS) in genomics.
The DHSC commissioned the medical devices review after concerns were raised that pulse oximeters - widely used during the COVID-19 pandemic to monitor blood
oxygen levels - were not as accurate for patients with darker skin tones. There were worries that this could cause delays in treatment if dangerously low oxygen
levels in such patients were missed.
However, no evidence was found from NHS studies indicating that this differing performance had an impact on patient care.
Accepting the report's conclusions, the DHSC has committed to several actions, such as ensuring the safe use of pulse oximeter devices across a range of skin
tones within the NHS and eliminating racial bias from data sets employed in clinical studies.
Patients in Ireland with a specific type of lung cancer can now access Merck's TEPMETKO® (tepotinib) as a second-line treatment option, following its
approval for reimbursement by the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Tepotinib is the first treatment approved in Ireland specifically targeting advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with mesenchymal-epithelial transition
factor gene (MET) exon 14 (METex14) skipping alterations.
Previously, the oral MET inhibitor had been approved in the NHS across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Patients with advanced NSCLC with METex14 skipping alterations typically have poorer overall survival rates compared to other NSCLC patients.
According to Merck, tepotinib has shown consistent and durable antitumor activity in this group, as demonstrated in the VISION study, further cementing its role
in clinical practice.
Roisin Molloy, Managing Director of Merck Healthcare in Ireland, said: "This is an important step forward for targeted treatments in Ireland and it is fantastic
news that the HSE has reimbursed tepotinib."