Bone marrow drug is tested

Patients who have undergone bone marrow transplants are to take part in a trial based in Yorkshire to test if a new drug helps them recover from the procedure.

By The Newsroom

Published 22nd Dec 2010, 08:57 BST

Updated 22nd Dec 2010, 08:58 BST

A trial funded by the charity Yorkshire Cancer Research will examine if the drug Lenalidomide reduces the risk of life-threatening infections after transplants in patients with multiple myeloma.

Infection remained the main cause of death in the first 100 days after a transplant.

But laboratory tests by experts at St James's Hospital in Leeds on blood samples from patients around the country will examine if the treatment helps the immune system recover, a factor that could have a significant impact on survival rates.