Leading Birmingham cancer charity is launching a 拢3 million fundraising drive to eradicate blood cancer by establishing a Birmingham Institute of Haematology.
The BIH will be established by expanding the life-saving Centre for Clinical Haematology (CCH) at which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
Cure Leukaemia co-founder Professor Charlie Craddock CBE, who helped save the lives of former footballers Geoff Thomas and, when they endured blood cancer, said: 鈥淭here has been quite remarkable progress in our treatment and understanding of all forms of blood cancer in the last ten years but the time is now for curing blood cancer.
鈥淎 tsunami of potentially curative therapies are being developed and it is essential that their assessment is accelerated if patients are to benefit. This vital progress will only continue with additional investment and growth of the CCH.
鈥淏irmingham has already shown that it has an important role to play in the contribution it can make in the fight against blood cancer and the benefits from establishing the BIH will be multiple.鈥
Dr Ram Malladi, senior clinical lecturer, honorary consultant haematologist and Cure Leukaemia Trustee, said: 鈥淲hilst great strides have been made since the CCH was opened in 2006 the fact remains that too many people still die from leukaemia and without additional investment, patients will continue to miss out on accessing life-saving therapies.鈥
Cure Leukaemia chief executive James McLaughlin said: 鈥淲e already have major corporate backing from leading businesses in the Second City but to find cures for all blood cancers we need the whole Birmingham community to unite as one to make this dream a reality.
鈥淭he BIH will provide the foundations to accelerate progress towards this inspirational goal and Cure Leukaemia will focus its fundraising efforts on the establishment of the BIH going forward.鈥
CCH and clinicians and scientists are already driving forward groundbreaking new therapies and saving lives by delivering world first clinical trials to leukaemia patients who have exhausted standard treatments.
These trials also contribute to our understanding and treatment of blood cancer across the world.
This has led Prime Minister and Minister for life sciences George Freeman MP to publicly acknowledge the global importance of Birmingham鈥檚 medical infrastructure.
In partnership with Cure Leukaemia
