Cancer sufferer at Northampton General Hospital is first UK patient treated with drug to stop Covid

Antibody trial could help thousands of vulnerable people still being forced to shield from coronavirus
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A Northampton man with a form of blood cancer is the first patient in the UK to receive treatment trialling a drug to help vulnerable patients fight Covid-19.

The Rapid-Protection study will eventually be rolled out to around 350 participants aged over 18 at hospitals around the country. It is investigating the use of Covid-19 vaccines in combination with Evusheld — a new antibody treatment used for the prevention of coronavirus among people with weakened immune systems caused by cancer, inflammatory conditions, as a result of organ transplants or other serious health conditions.

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University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group – which runs Northampton and Kettering general hospitals – has become the first trust in the UK to set up the trial and see its first patient.

Patient John from Northampton with consultant Dr Jane Parker after receiving his first trial dose of Covid-beating drug EvusheldPatient John from Northampton with consultant Dr Jane Parker after receiving his first trial dose of Covid-beating drug Evusheld
Patient John from Northampton with consultant Dr Jane Parker after receiving his first trial dose of Covid-beating drug Evusheld

John, whose surname has been withheld by request, received his treatment at NGH on Tuesday (November 15) after being identified because he has myeloma and has had to shield during the pandemic.

Consultant haematologist, Dr Jane Parker, who is leading the study at NGH, said: “The opportunity to get Evusheld to better protect against Covid-19 is monumental for our immunocompromised patients, especially as many have continued to shield or significantly restrict their lifestyle since the beginning of the pandemic.

“Hopefully, our patients can now start to get their lives more back to normal and enjoy some of the freedoms the rest of us have experienced since the Covid rules were relaxed.”

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NHS England have confirmed seven people have sadly died while being treated for Covid in NGH between November 1 and November 13. A further eight coronavirus patients died at Kettering General Hospital. At the two hospitals, 399 patients have died with the virus this year.

John said: “I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to take part in this trial. Covid remains a real worry for immuno-supressed people and I hope that by taking part in the trial it will help to support future treatments for people with these conditions.

“Of course, it also gives me additional protection and enables me to feel a bit more relaxed about Covid.

“I want to say I am extremely grateful for the excellent ongoing care and treatment I am receiving from Dr Parker and the haematology team at NGH.”

What is Evusheld?

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Evusheld is a combination of two long-acting antibodies that bind to the spike protein on the outside of the SARS-CoV2 virus and prevents the virus from entering human cells. It has been shown in clinical trials to prevent Covid-19 infection for up to a year after a single dose of two injections, giving protection within a few hours.

Unlike other Covid vaccines being delivered as part of the national programme, Evusheld does not depend on a healthy immune system to generate protective immunity.

Participants will have a total of seven visits to hospital over a year where they will have blood tests to monitor their Covid-19 antibody levels to see how long protection lasts.

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