Latest news with #ZaedHamady
Business Wire
8 hours ago
- Health
- Business Wire
ClearNote Health Avantect ® Pancreatic Cancer Test Enters Patient Enrollment Phase of Groundbreaking UK Study Targeting High-Risk Patients
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ClearNote Health, a company focused on improving early detection for some of the deadliest cancers, today announced initiation of patient enrollment for a landmark clinical study utilizing its Avantect ® Pancreatic Cancer Test. Sponsored by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, the prospective, multicenter study seeks to improve early detection of pancreatic cancer in individuals recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. With up to 15,000 patient participants, it will be the largest study of its kind. "We're thrilled to be part of this transformative study that could redefine how pancreatic cancer is detected and managed for patients at high risk due to a recent diabetes diagnosis," said Samuel Levy, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at ClearNote Health. Patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes are up to eight times as likely to develop pancreatic cancer as the general population. 1 In some of these cases, the diabetes symptoms may be caused by cancer affecting the function of the pancreas, which is responsible for insulin production. The new Surveillance of pAncreatic health aFter diabEtes Diagnosis (SAFE-D) study is led by Zaed Hamady, consultant pancreatic cancer surgeon at University Hospital Southampton. The single-blind, randomized controlled study will be conducted by researchers at the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit (CTU), based at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. The study will provide additional prospective validation data of the Avantect test and help identify early pancreatic cancer signals where present in this high-risk population. 'New onset diabetes has been linked to a six- to eight-fold increase in pancreatic cancer risk,' said Mr. Hamady. 'This patient group provides a valuable opportunity to better understand the exact relationship between these diseases and further validate ClearNote Health's blood-based Avantect Pancreatic Cancer Test, which has the potential to benefit thousands of people in the UK.' Dr. Victoria Goss, Head of Early Diagnosis and Translational Research at the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, emphasized the study's community-focused approach. 'We recognize that access to healthcare and clinical trials is often uneven,' she said. 'By conducting the SAFE-D study through local research hubs and community hospitals, we aim to make early cancer detection research more inclusive and equitable.' 'We are proud to sponsor this cutting-edge study, which holds tremendous potential to improve outcomes for patients facing this devastating disease,' said Dr. Mikayala King, Research and Development Governance, Quality Assurance and Sponsorship Manager at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. 'Our collaboration with ClearNote and the CTU builds on a strong foundation of excellence in cancer research.' The Avantect Pancreatic Cancer Test is an innovative blood test designed for individuals at elevated risk of pancreatic cancer — particularly those over age 50 who are newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, individuals with a family history of the disease, or those with a genetic predisposition. The test analyzes the epigenomic biomarker 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in cell-free DNA, combined with other genomic data, to detect pancreatic cancer at its earliest and most treatable stages. Unlike conventional methods, ClearNote's approach provides a deeper understanding of the underpinnings of cancer development to inform the next steps in a patient care pathway. 'Early detection is the key to saving lives from the deadliest cancers,' said Samuel Levy, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at ClearNote Health. 'We intend to demonstrate that the Avantect test can identify pancreatic cancer in stages I and II, and we're thrilled to be part of this transformative study that could redefine how pancreatic cancer is detected and managed for patients at high risk due to a recent diabetes diagnosis.' For more information on the SAFE-D study, please visit For more information on the Avantect Pancreatic Cancer Test, please visit About ClearNote Health ClearNote Health is a privately held company dedicated to improving early detection and monitoring for some of the deadliest forms of cancer. Developed by scientists in the Stephen Quake laboratory at Stanford University, the company's patented core Virtuoso™ epigenomics platform builds on the latest advances in artificial intelligence and bioinformatics to measure active biological differences between cancer and healthy cells in a blood sample. The company's highly sensitive, noninvasive Avantect® Pancreatic and Ovarian diagnostic tests are designed to identify cancers in high-risk patient populations far earlier than conventional approaches, when patients are most likely to benefit from treatment. ClearNote Health's headquarters and CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited laboratory are located in San Diego. For more information, visit or follow the company on LinkedIn. References 1. Chari ST, Leibson CL, Rabe KG, Ransom J, de Andrade M, Petersen GM. Probability of pancreatic cancer following diabetes: a population-based study. Gastroenterology. 2005 Aug;129(2):504-11. doi:10.1016/
Scottish Sun
11 hours ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Blood test to detect early signs of deadliest cancer trialled in UK – and doctors are calling for people to take part
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A NEW blood test to pick up early signs of a cancer which kills more than half of people within three months of diagnosis is being trialled by UK doctors. The genomic test uses blood samples to look for markers of the deadly disease, which often has vague symptoms. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The new blood test offers hope for pancreatic cancer, which has vague symptoms in the early stages, being detected sooner Credit: Getty Currently, the UK doesn't have a national screening programme for pancreatic cancer like it does for breast or bowel cancer. A huge issue is the disease is often diagnosed at a late stage because it frequently lacks noticeable symptoms in the early stages. But a new pancreatic cancer test is being trialled in patients with a recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes - a known risk factor for the disease. People over 50 with a new case of type 2 diabetes have a higher chance of also being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within three years. Early data suggests the Avantect test is 68 per cent accurate in picking up people with early stages of the disease, which kills almost 10,000 people every year in the UK. It's also 97 per cent accurate in ruling out people without pancreatic cancer. The new clinical trial has been launched at the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit. Zaed Hamady, consultant surgeon and pancreatic researcher at the University of Southampton, who's leading the trial, said: "There is currently no targeted early detection or surveillance test for the disease meaning patients are often diagnosed late when they become really unwell. "If we can develop approaches to detect the cancer sooner, then there are more options we may consider to treat the disease, and patients will have a much better chance of long-term survival. "Although most people with diabetes will not go on to develop the disease, new onset diabetes is associated with a six to eight-fold increased risk. Mum, 38, left 'minutes away from death' and forced to relearn to walk after dismissing 'harmless' symptoms of flesh-eating bug "This patient group gives us a way to test how accurate the new diagnostic blood test is, and that could potentially help thousands of people in the future." According to researchers, newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients often have similar symptoms as a person with early-stage pancreatic cancer. This is because the cancer destroys the same insulin-producing cells that are also destroyed in diabetes. 'Earlier diagnosis would have meant time to make more memories with our children' Sean Cleghorn's wife, Allison, discovered she had pancreatic cancer at Christmas 2020 but died four weeks later aged 54. Mr Cleghorn, a father of three from Kingsclere in Hampshire, said: "The only symptom Allison displayed was some slight indigestion and then she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the autumn of 2020. "Allison had always eaten healthily, was active and avoided processed food, so this diagnosis was puzzling for us. "When we learned that new-onset type 2 diabetes was a potential risk factor for pancreatic cancer, we asked for further testing and a scan confirmed she had terminal cancer. "We hoped she could have chemotherapy to prolong her life, but she became too weak and died four weeks later. "Perhaps if she had been diagnosed sooner with a test like the one that's currently being trialled, we may have had time to make more memories with our three children." Angelica Cazaly, senior trial manager for the trial, said: "We are asking people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes who are attending GP surgeries or diabetic clinics whether they would like to take part in the study. "Initially, we will collect blood samples from 800 people for testing. "The results from the test, together with medical information collected from each patient, will help provide researchers with important information on how best to proceed with the rest of the study that will evaluate how accurate the test is at predicting pancreatic cancer." 'Exciting time for early detection research' 2 Pancreatic cancer is considered the deadliest cancer, with just one in 20 surviving the disease for 10 years or more Credit: Getty Around 10,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year and just one in 20 survive the disease for 10 years or more. Samuel Levy, chief scientific officer of ClearNote Health, said: "Our early data demonstrate that our Avantect test can identify pancreatic cancer in stages I and II. "We are excited to collaborate with the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit and the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust on this transformative study that could redefine how pancreatic cancer is detected and managed for patients at high risk." Dr Chris Macdonald, head of research at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said over 80 per cent of people with pancreatic cancer are currently diagnosed too late for treatment. He added: "This is an exciting time for early detection research, with tests using blood, breath and urine in development which, if shown to be successful in clinical trials, could save thousands of lives every year. "Early findings from these tests are very promising, but more research is needed to ensure that they are as accurate as possible before they will be available in the GP surgery."
The Sun
11 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
Blood test to detect early signs of deadliest cancer trialled in UK – and doctors are calling for people to take part
A NEW blood test to pick up early signs of a cancer which kills more than half of people within three months of diagnosis is being trialled by UK doctors. The genomic test uses blood samples to look for markers of the deadly disease, which often has vague symptoms. 2 Currently, the UK doesn't have a national screening programme for pancreatic cancer like it does for breast or bowel cancer. A huge issue is the disease is often diagnosed at a late stage because it frequently lacks noticeable symptoms in the early stages. But a new pancreatic cancer test is being trialled in patients with a recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes - a known risk factor for the disease. People over 50 with a new case of type 2 diabetes have a higher chance of also being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within three years. Early data suggests the Avantect test is 68 per cent accurate in picking up people with early stages of the disease, which kills almost 10,000 people every year in the UK. It's also 97 per cent accurate in ruling out people without pancreatic cancer. The new clinical trial has been launched at the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit. Zaed Hamady, consultant surgeon and pancreatic researcher at the University of Southampton, who's leading the trial, said: "There is currently no targeted early detection or surveillance test for the disease meaning patients are often diagnosed late when they become really unwell. "If we can develop approaches to detect the cancer sooner, then there are more options we may consider to treat the disease, and patients will have a much better chance of long-term survival. "Although most people with diabetes will not go on to develop the disease, new onset diabetes is associated with a six to eight-fold increased risk. "This patient group gives us a way to test how accurate the new diagnostic blood test is, and that could potentially help thousands of people in the future." According to researchers, newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients often have similar symptoms as a person with early-stage pancreatic cancer. This is because the cancer destroys the same insulin-producing cells that are also destroyed in diabetes. 'Earlier diagnosis would have meant time to make more memories with our children' Sean Cleghorn's wife, Allison, discovered she had pancreatic cancer at Christmas 2020 but died four weeks later aged 54. Mr Cleghorn, a father of three from Kingsclere in Hampshire, said: "The only symptom Allison displayed was some slight indigestion and then she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the autumn of 2020. "Allison had always eaten healthily, was active and avoided processed food, so this diagnosis was puzzling for us. "When we learned that new-onset type 2 diabetes was a potential risk factor for pancreatic cancer, we asked for further testing and a scan confirmed she had terminal cancer. "We hoped she could have chemotherapy to prolong her life, but she became too weak and died four weeks later. "Perhaps if she had been diagnosed sooner with a test like the one that's currently being trialled, we may have had time to make more memories with our three children." Angelica Cazaly, senior trial manager for the trial, said: "We are asking people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes who are attending GP surgeries or diabetic clinics whether they would like to take part in the study. "Initially, we will collect blood samples from 800 people for testing. "The results from the test, together with medical information collected from each patient, will help provide researchers with important information on how best to proceed with the rest of the study that will evaluate how accurate the test is at predicting pancreatic cancer." 'Exciting time for early detection research' 2 Around 10,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year and just one in 20 survive the disease for 10 years or more. Samuel Levy, chief scientific officer of ClearNote Health, said: "Our early data demonstrate that our Avantect test can identify pancreatic cancer in stages I and II. "We are excited to collaborate with the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit and the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust on this transformative study that could redefine how pancreatic cancer is detected and managed for patients at high risk." Dr Chris Macdonald, head of research at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said over 80 per cent of people with pancreatic cancer are currently diagnosed too late for treatment. He added: "This is an exciting time for early detection research, with tests using blood, breath and urine in development which, if shown to be successful in clinical trials, could save thousands of lives every year. "Early findings from these tests are very promising, but more research is needed to ensure that they are as accurate as possible before they will be available in the GP surgery."
ITV News
13 hours ago
- Health
- ITV News
Blood test for early signs of pancreatic cancer trialled by Southampton doctors
A new blood test to pick up early signs of pancreatic cancer is being trialled by UK doctors. The genomic test uses blood samples to look for markers of the deadly disease, which often has vague symptoms and can kill people within months. The test is being trialled in patients with a recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes – a known risk factor for pancreatic cancer. People over 50 with a new case of type 2 diabetes have a higher chance of also being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within three years. Early data suggests the Avantect test is 68% accurate in picking up people with early stages of the disease, which kills almost 10,000 people every year in the UK. It is also 97% accurate in ruling out people without pancreatic cancer. The new clinical trial has been launched at the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit. Zaed Hamady, consultant surgeon and pancreatic researcher at the University of Southampton, is leading the trial. He said: 'There is currently no targeted early detection or surveillance test for the disease meaning patients are often diagnosed late when they become really unwell. 'If we can develop approaches to detect the cancer sooner, then there are more options we may consider to treat the disease, and patients will have a much better chance of long-term survival. 'Although most people with diabetes will not go on to develop the disease, new onset diabetes is associated with a six to eight-fold increased risk. 'This patient group gives us a way to test how accurate the new diagnostic blood test is, and that could potentially help thousands of people in the future.' The test has been validated by biotechnology company ClearNote Health in patients at a high risk for developing pancreatic cancer, including those aged 50 and over newly-diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and those with a genetic predisposition and/or family history of pancreatic cancer. According to researchers, newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients often have similar symptoms as a person with early-stage pancreatic cancer. This is because the cancer destroys the same insulin-producing cells that are also destroyed in diabetes. Sean Cleghorn's wife, Allison, discovered she had pancreatic cancer at Christmas 2020 but died four weeks later aged 54. Mr Cleghorn, a father of three from Kingsclere in Hampshire, said: 'The only symptom Allison displayed was some slight indigestion and then she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the autumn of 2020. 'Allison had always eaten healthily, was active and avoided processed food, so this diagnosis was puzzling for us. 'When we learned that new-onset type 2 diabetes was a potential risk factor for pancreatic cancer, we asked for further testing and a scan confirmed she had terminal cancer. 'We hoped she could have chemotherapy to prolong her life, but she became too weak and died four weeks later. 'Perhaps if she had been diagnosed sooner with a test like the one that's currently being trialled, we may have had time to make more memories with our three children.' Angelica Cazaly, senior trial manager for the trial, said: 'We are asking people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes who are attending GP surgeries or diabetic clinics whether they would like to take part in the study. 'Initially, we will collect blood samples from 800 people for testing. 'The results from the test, together with medical information collected from each patient, will help provide researchers with important information on how best to proceed with the rest of the study that will evaluate how accurate the test is at predicting pancreatic cancer.' Around 10,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year and just one in 20 survive the disease for 10 years or more. Samuel Levy, chief scientific officer of ClearNote Health, said: 'Our early data demonstrate that our Avantect test can identify pancreatic cancer in stages I and II. 'We are excited to collaborate with the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit and the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust on this transformative study that could redefine how pancreatic cancer is detected and managed for patients at high risk.' Dr Chris Macdonald, head of research at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said over 80% of people with pancreatic cancer are currently diagnosed too late for treatment. He added: 'This is an exciting time for early detection research, with tests using blood, breath and urine in development which, if shown to be successful in clinical trials, could save thousands of lives every year. 'Early findings from these tests are very promising, but more research is needed to ensure that they are as accurate as possible before they will be available in the GP surgery.'
The Independent
21 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
‘Promising' new test could detect pancreatic cancer in its early stages
A new blood test designed to detect early signs of pancreatic cancer is being trialled in the UK. The genomic test analyses blood samples to identify markers of the deadly disease, which often presents with indistinct symptoms and can be fatal within months. The test is being trialled in patients with a recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes – a known risk factor for pancreatic cancer. The trial is focusing on patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a known risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Individuals over 50 who develop type 2 diabetes have a higher chance of also being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within three years. Early data suggests the Avantect test is 68 per cent accurate in picking up people with early stages of the disease, which kills almost 10,000 people every year in the UK, and 97 per cent accurate in ruling out people without pancreatic cancer. The new clinical trial has been launched at the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit. Zaed Hamady, a consultant surgeon and pancreatic researcher at the University of Southampton who is leading the trial said there is 'currently no targeted early detection or surveillance test for the disease, meaning patients are often diagnosed late when they become really unwell'. 'If we can develop approaches to detect the cancer sooner, then there are more options we may consider to treat the disease, and patients will have a much better chance of long-term survival. 'Although most people with diabetes will not go on to develop the disease, new-onset diabetes is associated with a six to eight-fold increased risk. 'This patient group gives us a way to test how accurate the new diagnostic blood test is, and that could potentially help thousands of people in the future.' The test has been validated by biotechnology company ClearNote Health in patients at a high risk for developing pancreatic cancer, including those aged 50 and over, newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and those with a genetic predisposition and/or family history of pancreatic cancer. According to researchers, newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients often have similar symptoms to a person with early-stage pancreatic cancer. This is because the cancer destroys the same insulin-producing cells that are also destroyed in diabetes. Sean Cleghorn's wife, Allison, discovered she had pancreatic cancer at Christmas 2020 but died four weeks later, aged 54. Mr Cleghorn, a father of three from Kingsclere in Hampshire, said his wife's only symptom was some slight indigestion before she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the autumn of 2020. 'Allison had always eaten healthily, was active and avoided processed food, so this diagnosis was puzzling for us,' he said. 'When we learned that new-onset type 2 diabetes was a potential risk factor for pancreatic cancer, we asked for further testing and a scan confirmed she had terminal cancer. 'We hoped she could have chemotherapy to prolong her life, but she became too weak and died four weeks later. 'Perhaps if she had been diagnosed sooner with a test like the one that's currently being trialled, we may have had time to make more memories with our three children.' Angelica Cazaly, senior trial manager for the trial, said people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes who are attending GP surgeries or diabetic clinics were being asked whether they would like to take part in the study. 'Initially, we will collect blood samples from 800 people for testing,' she said. 'The results from the test, together with medical information collected from each patient, will help provide researchers with important information on how best to proceed with the rest of the study that will evaluate how accurate the test is at predicting pancreatic cancer.' Around 10,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year and just one in 20 survives the disease for 10 years or more. Symptoms of pancreatic cancer NHS Samuel Levy, chief scientific officer of ClearNote Health, said: 'Our early data demonstrate that our Avantect test can identify pancreatic cancer in stages I and II. 'We are excited to collaborate with the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit and the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust on this transformative study that could redefine how pancreatic cancer is detected and managed for patients at high risk.' Dr Chris Macdonald, head of research at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said over 80 per cent of people with pancreatic cancer are currently diagnosed too late for treatment. 'This is an exciting time for early detection research, with tests using blood, breath and urine in development which, if shown to be successful in clinical trials, could save thousands of lives every year,' he said. 'Early findings from these tests are very promising, but more research is needed to ensure that they are as accurate as possible before they will be available in the GP surgery.'
