Clatterbridge pioneers life-changing new therapy in UK first

A Liverpool man is the first person in the UK to be treated with a groundbreaking therapy aimed at tackling a serious condition caused by life-saving cancer treatment — and it’s happening right here in the city.

Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, based in Liverpool, is leading the way with a new clinical trial targeting Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD), a painful and potentially life-threatening illness that can affect cancer patients following stem cell or bone marrow transplants.

55-year-old Paul Kyte from Frodsham is the first patient in the country to receive the new treatment as part of the INCA34176-254 trial, and he’s hoping it will mark a turning point in his recovery.

Paul, a professional brand photographer, had to put his life and business on hold after being diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) – a rare blood cancer – in 2021. After months of transfusions, intensive chemotherapy, and a stem cell transplant at Clatterbridge in October 2022, he entered remission. But just as things were looking up, Paul began experiencing troubling new symptoms.

Paul, 55, who lives in Frodsham in Cheshire, first spotted a problem in 2021 when he was particularly busy with work. “I just thought I’d overdone things,” he said. “I noticed I was becoming tired more easily, breathless, and just felt generally unwell.”

Although initially offered steroid treatment, Paul was given the option to join Clatterbridge’s clinical trial. “There were no guarantees, but I trust Dr Saif completely,” said Paul. “I’m doing this not just for myself, but for others going through the same thing.”Paul said: “The build-up of being unwell with GVHD was over nine months and was getting worse. It was interfering with my immune system.”

GVHD can be very serious, even life-threatening, and Paul was offered steroids to treat it but also given the chance to join the clinical research trial.

He said:

“Dr Saif explained there were no guarantees of success but he is hoping it will be effective. I have 100% faith in him, so it did not take me long to decide to join the trial. I am being monitored very closely and the team is fantastic, answering any questions I have. Everyone is so nice.

“I’m taking part in this research not only for me, but the people around me, and others who come after me with this condition,” said Paul. “Not a lot of people have heard of GVHD, but it is a very real possibility after a stem cell transplant.”

Dr Saif said:

“Stem cell transplants are complicated procedures with significant risks but have been proven to be a highly effective way to replace blood cells that have been damaged or destroyed because of intensive cancer treatment.

“However, GVHD can be a result for some patients whose stem cell grafts start to attack the patient’s body. This can manifest itself in symptoms which vary in severity, and for a small number of patients they can be debilitating and even life-threatening.

“We hope that this trial can lead to a treatment to lessen or eradicate GVHD and allow patients in remission after their cancer treatment a chance to live a much healthier life.”

Paul said:

“I’m hoping that this clinical trial will give me an opportunity to get back to full health and eventually start up my business again and build it up as I recover fully. I am really looking forward to that and spending more time with Mollyann.

“For three years, I lived in the shadow of what was and what could be. Life, business, everything was put on hold. Recovery wasn’t just about healing – it was about finding the courage to rebuild, step by step, without knowing exactly what the future would look like.

“Relaunching my business isn’t about me running a marathon. It’s about simply making it to the start line. I have been a professional photographer for over 35 years and absolutely loved it. Cancer may have put my business on hold but I am determined that cancer will not be the reason that I walk away from my career and my passion.”