Pioneering Newcastle Advanced Therapies has won Laboratory of the Year Award 2024 at the Institute of Biomedical Science Awards 2024.
The dedication of staff in delivering excellent treatment with patients are the heart of care was recognised in an awards ceremony on June 28 at The Brewery in London.
Mark Jarvis, director of Newcastle Advanced Therapies, part of Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said the award was fantastic news for the team.
“I’m really, proud of our entire team. We were recognised by the judges for our ability to deliver a significant impact for patients both through research and clinical service.
“Our specialised service crosses the boundaries of clinical service, research, and clinical trials and our partnership working and innovation was praised for being exemplary in putting patient needs at the heart of what we do.”
Dr Jarvis highlighted the “significant contribution” of the teams working in specialist laboratories at Newcastle University Medical School and the Centre for Life to both the Trust and University, in a complex environment of regulatory requirements.
One of the leading centres in advanced therapies and bone marrow stem cell transplantation, the team of 24 led by director Dr Jarvis, works closely with clinicians and researchers to process and manufacture cells, genes and tissue products.
These therapies offer a new era of personalised medicine and innovative patient care. They are life changing for patients and are also used in commercial trials and research to keep driving forward medical advances and personalised care for patients.
At Newcastle Hospitals we’re recognised nationally and internationally as a leading centre for the implementation and delivery of advanced therapies.
Our scientists, clinicians and researchers have significant expertise in the development and production of high-quality advanced therapy products such as CAR T-cell therapy.
The team has a cutting-edge portfolio including:
➡ The haematology transplant service which treats over 300 patients per year and is an essential support to the Great North Children’s Hospital and the Northern Centre for Cancer Care.
➡ A specialist laboratory delivering bench-to-bedside programmes and supporting the translation of academic research through validation and process engineering to enable first-in-human trials.
➡ Trials include rheumatoid arthritis, myocardial infarction, limbal stem cell deficiency and anti-viral T-cells.
➡ CAR T therapy, the centre is one of the largest providers in the UK and has delivered its 100th product.
Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle University are partners in Newcastle Health Innovation Partnership (NHIP) delivering collaborative health and care research, innovation, education and training.