Collaboration aims for National Screening Programme

Novacyt, an international specialist in cancer and infectious disease diagnostics, is collaborating with the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), specifically the St Stephen’s AIDS Trust Ltd, through a five year master agreement for clinical trials.

Linked to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Imperial College London, and the Dean Street Express clinic in London Soho, the St Stephen’s AIDS Trust is one of the largest human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) trusts in Europe. The aim of the first study is to develop a human papilloma virus (HPV) screening programme for homosexual men in the growing problem of anal cancer.

Novacyt will use its NOVAprep® technology to provide free tests to homosexual male patients in order to study and establish an appropriate HPV screening algorithm. Moving forward, the collaboration will also seek to involve other parties that can help advance provision of a much needed solution and recommendation for a potential national anal cancer screening programme.

Gary Whitlock, MD, PhD, Consultant Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, said: “Several UK institutions, including the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust, have called for investigation into whether screening homosexual men for HPV is useful and cost-effective. Currently there is no scientific data available on how frequently homosexual males should be screened. In comparison to female cervical screening, which is well understood and described as being effective every five years, sexually active homosexual men might need screening as often as every six months and homosexual males have an increased chance of being diagnosed with anal cancer, which also has a poor five-year survival rate. We are therefore pleased to be working with industry specialists, such as Novacyt, to address this real problem.”