The Kent Haemophilia and Thrombosis Centre based at Kent & Canterbury Hospital has become the first centre in the UK to enrol patients in a new study about haemophilia treatments.
Leading the project team is Dr Kim Elliott, Consultant in Haemostasis. She explained: “Haemophilia A is an inherited long term condition where people have problems with bleeding into joints and muscles.
“They are missing a protein called Factor VIII from their blood and often need treatment to replace this in the form of regular, sometimes daily, injections.”
Dr Elliott added: “The study, called A-SURE, is gathering important information on how patients respond to a newer, longer- lasting Factor VIII treatment. This will hopefully improve haemophilia care for patients both current and in the future. The study is being run in nine European countries.”
“The success of projects such as this relies upon the dedicated team at the Haemophilia Centre and the patients who give their time and effort.”
East Kent Hospitals carries out research across a whole range of areas, including clinical trials that test new drugs and treatments, developing new treatments and techniques and engaging with patients and carers to improve their experience of treatment.
The Trust is the largest recruiter in Kent to National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Portfolio studies, which are largely supported by funding from the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Clinical Research Network (CRN: KSS).
East Kent Hospitals also works closely with researchers in other hospitals, commercial organisations and universities, as well as developing its own research in a diverse and wide range of areas, from occupational and physiotherapies to ophthalmology and advanced neuroimaging.
