Adele Adams, a 59-year-old blood cancer patient, has expressed her joy and optimism after participating in a clinical trial for a new drug at The Christie Hospital in Manchester. Diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2016, Adams described the treatment as ‘one of the easiest’ she has had, and credited the new drug for making her feel ‘so alive’.

The drug, currently known as NX-5948, is still in its trial phase and is targeted at patients with B-cell lymphoma, particularly those for whom the disease has recurred after prior treatment or has become resistant to treatment. The drug aims to eliminate lymphoma from cancerous cells by degrading a critical growth protein, offering a different approach compared to existing treatments that block the same protein.

Having undergone 10 different types of chemotherapy over six years, Adams had reached a point where doctors had informed her that there were no further options for treatment. However, her participation in the clinical trial brought newfound hope. She expressed her immediate positive response to the new drug, stating that she could feel the difference right away and described her current state as the ‘happiest place’ she has been in for a long time, emphasizing how the new treatment has transformed her life.

Dr. Kim Linton, a consultant oncologist at The Christie, cautiously expressed optimism about the trial, highlighting that the results so far indicate a potential new approach in treating difficult-to-treat B cell lymphomas. The trial aims to determine the drug’s tolerability by patients and establish the highest safe dose, with the ultimate goal of offering a breakthrough in the fight against lymphoma.

This development brings a ray of hope for the 15,000 people who succumb to blood cancer annually in the UK. The innovative approach of the new drug offers promising prospects for patients like Adams, who have endured the challenges of traditional chemotherapy and seek new options for effective treatment.