Construction milestone for proton beam therapy centre in Newport
The Proteus ONE, the first proton beam therapy system to be delivered in the UK, will be installed and maintained by IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.) at Proton Partners International’s first oncology centre, The Rutherford Cancer Centre, South Wales (Proton Partners International, 2017). Proton Partners International, which is building a series of oncology centres known … Continue reading Construction milestone for proton beam therapy centre in Newport
Sharp announces £9m investment in European Clinical Services Centre of Excellence
Sharp Clinical Services, part of UDG Healthcare plc, has announced a £9m investment to fund a new multiple phase pharmaceutical manufacturing, packaging and distribution facility in Rhymney, Caerphilly (Sharp, 2017). The investment, which includes £500,000 from the Welsh Government, will enable the company to satisfy increased demand for Phase III clinical and commercial services. The … Continue reading Sharp announces £9m investment in European Clinical Services Centre of Excellence
Skills Academy launched for surgeons
A Welsh company has launched a new education and training platform for surgeons (BusinessNewsWales, 2017). Talbot Green-based Hospital Innovations, the UK’s leading supplier of specialist products for use in orthopaedic, surgical and corrective procedures, has created the “Skills Academy” to provide surgeons with five training and educational initiatives. The aim of the Skills Academy is … Continue reading Skills Academy launched for surgeons
Moleculomics helps get effective drugs to market quickly and cheaply
Getting better drugs to market faster, and at a fraction of the cost, is a step closer thanks to technology for speeding up the testing process, which is being developed by a Swansea University spin-out Moleculomics (Swansea University, 2017). Moleculomics has been developing comprehensive platforms of computer generated models for protein structures in the human … Continue reading Moleculomics helps get effective drugs to market quickly and cheaply
Clinical trial offers lifeline for patients with aggressive brain tumours
A cutting-edge treatment for people with aggressive brain tumours is being made available in Wales for the first time (WalesOnline, 2017). A new trial, undertaken at Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff, will look at the effects of a drug called Lynparza, also known as olaparib, combined with radiotherapy for patients with aggressive brain tumours. Glioblastoma … Continue reading Clinical trial offers lifeline for patients with aggressive brain tumours
The first drug that could reverse diabetes
With no insulin injections, no avoiding sugar, a daily drug can reverse diabetes symptoms in mice, opening up the possibility of a much easier way for people with diabetes to keep their blood sugar level within safe limits (New Scientist, 2017). In 2016, the number of people living with diabetes in the UK passed four … Continue reading The first drug that could reverse diabetes
New test can predict when you’ll get Alzheimer’s
Scientists have developed a new genetic test for Alzheimer’s risk that can be used to predict the age at which a person will develop the disease (The Guardian, 2017). The study found a high score on the test, which is based on thirty one genetic markers, can translate to someone being diagnosed many years earlier … Continue reading New test can predict when you’ll get Alzheimer’s
Sony open new research centre in Pencoed
A new research centre to identify manufacturing processes of the future has opened at the Sony UK Technology Centre (UK TEC) in Pencoed (MediWales, 2017). The facility has launched the Advanced Manufacturing Research Operations Centre (AMROC) in a collaborative partnership with Sony Global Manufacturing & Operations Corporation. The project will pioneer processes focused on the … Continue reading Sony open new research centre in Pencoed
Researchers create ovulation on a chip
Researchers have created ovulation in the lab, with a simulated female reproductive system that behaves almost like the real thing over twenty eight days (New Scientist, 2017). Every twenty eight days, the ovary, cultured on a small plastic chip, releases an egg and starts producing hormones to prepare for pregnancy (Nature, 2017). The hormones travel … Continue reading Researchers create ovulation on a chip
Farmed chicken’s immune system “too slow” to beat campylobacter
University of Liverpool research has revealed that the immune response of farmed chickens does not develop fast enough to fight off campylobacter during their short lifespan (University of Liverpool, 2017). The findings have important implications in the challenge towards developing a poultry vaccine for the bug, which is the UK’s leading cause of food poisoning. … Continue reading Farmed chicken’s immune system “too slow” to beat campylobacter
