{"id":69375,"date":"2024-04-18t10:49:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-18t09:49:02","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.aselpijama.com\/?p=69375"},"modified":"2024-08-19t10:01:05","modified_gmt":"2024-08-19t09:01:05","slug":"the-study-taking-strides-towards-personalised-medicine-for-ph","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.aselpijama.com\/the-study-taking-strides-towards-personalised-medicine-for-ph\/","title":{"rendered":"the study taking strides towards personalised medicine for ph"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018phoenix\u2019 is an innovative new trial testing how well pah drugs can be personalised for patients \u2013 and it\u2019s set to roll out across more of the uk\u2019s specialist centres soon. we spoke to dr frankie varian of the sheffield pulmonary vascular disease unit (pictured) to find out more about the study\u2019s aims, and how it\u2019s been shaped by patients from the start\u2026<\/em><\/p>

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the phoenix trial, which opened for recruitment in june 2023, is a unique study using remote monitoring devices, placed into the lungs and over the heart, to help choose the best medications for people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (pah).<\/p>

it\u2019s all about tailoring treatments to the individual by finding out which drugs someone responds best to, using advanced technology to monitor people from their own homes \u2013 without the need for them to keep travelling into hospitals.<\/p>

the study aims to discover whether patients on  \u2018dual oral therapy\u2019 (two kinds of tablets) can enjoy a better quality of life by adding one of two additional, already approved, drugs – riociguat or selexipag – to their daily routine.<\/p>

to help guide treatment for patients from their own home and to help balance the benefit of therapies against side effects, the study uses cutting-edge, remote monitoring technology that provides daily data similar to that gained from a right heart catheterisation. this data is provided wirelessly to the hospital team via mobile phone. <\/p>

one tiny device sits in the pulmonary artery and the other just under the skin on the chest. this technology monitors the pulmonary artery pressures and heart rate rhythm activity by sending readings directly to the clinical team and alerting them of any problems.<\/p>

patients involved in the study are asked to complete walk tests at home and to fill out weekly quality of life questionnaires using a mobile app, to enable the team to monitor how they are responding to the drugs.<\/p>

they are monitored weekly during the trial for six months, but only four hospital visits – for mri scans – are required throughout this time.<\/p>

no study has ever put riociguat and selexipag \u2018head-to-head\u2019 in the uk in this way before, and dr varian believes the trial outcomes could have an impact of pah care worldwide.<\/p>

she said: \u201cwe really don\u2019t know which drug is best. we feel like they might be equal in terms of certain parts of the way they improve pah, but we may find for certain individuals one drug that suits them better than the other.<\/em><\/p>

we hope the results will really help inform all care in the future when we think about prescribing these two therapies.<\/em><\/p>

\u201cthere\u2019s lots involved in the trial but at the end, each patient who takes part gets a personalised therapy. we don\u2019t have to wait for the results of the full study, as we can make a decision based on their responses to the drugs, and any side effects.<\/em><\/p>

it\u2019s a really unique trial in that way because normally when you go into a trial, you don\u2019t find out the results until years later. but because all the drugs in this trial are already approved, it\u2019s all about how we can ensure the best therapy for the patient.\u201d<\/em><\/p>

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the trial is currently running at the sheffield pulmonary vascular disease unit and at hammersmith hospital in london, with plans to open it up around other uk specialist centres over the next two years.<\/p>

the phoenix study is focused on the treatment of pah at this point, but there is significant potential for the findings to be used for patients with other forms of ph \u2013 and to influence the remote monitoring of patients in general.<\/p>

\u201cwe\u2019re in a fantastic era of change in terms of healthcare and there are so many new technologies that are coming through\u201d, <\/em>added dr varian.<\/p>

\u201ci think trials like this do offer a lot of hope and hopefully a better connection between the clinician and patient because of remote technology. i think all of these things are really exciting.\u201d<\/em><\/p>