First Large-Scale Screening Trial to Identify Blood Cancer Before Disease Develops

The Binding Site is delighted to welcome Dr Sigurdur Kristinsson from the University of Iceland to its head office in Birmingham, UK to progress a landmark, large-scale screening study aimed at preventing Myeloma before it develops.

The ground-breaking iStopMM (Iceland Screens Treats or Prevents Multiple Myeloma) study will test blood samples from adults over the age of 40 in Iceland, almost one third of the country’s population, for the earliest signs of Myeloma.

Myeloma, a difficult to diagnose cancer of blood plasma cells, affects approximately 15,000 people in the UK, and more than 200,000 people around the world. Previously there was a short life expectancy associated with the disease, but new potent therapies are becoming available for myeloma with fewer side effects, as such it is expected that earlier diagnosis and treatment will be shown to improve patient survival and quality of life.

Binding Site, a UK-based maker of diagnostic assays, will perform the study’s initial screening phase, in Birmingham including the use of their highly sensitive Freelite^® assay. Dr Stephen Harding, R&D Director, and one of the instigators of this study said “iStopMM is at the heart of everything Binding Site has stood for since the launch of Freelite; we are delighted to support Dr Kristinsson.”

Charles de Rohan, Binding Site CEO at Binding Site commented “We have a total commitment to research in this field and Binding Site is delighted to support projects such as this aimed at improving patient care and outcomes.”