Dundee scientists celebrate huge milestone as new blood cancer treatment tested in first patient

A potentially important breakthrough in blood cancer research has been reached, with a new experimental treatment developed from pioneering work at the University of Dundee now being tested in a patient for the first time!

The milestone has been announced by Amphista Therapeutics, a biotechnology company founded in 2017 following research carried out at the university’s School of Life Sciences.

The company’s experimental drug, known as AMX-883, has now been given to the first patient taking part in a clinical trial exploring potential new treatments for serious blood cancers.

From a Dundee laboratory to patient trials

The treatment is based on research led by Professor Alessio Ciulli, whose work at the University of Dundee has helped develop new ways of tackling diseases.

Rather than simply blocking harmful proteins inside the body, the approach aims to break them down and remove them.

In simple terms, proteins are tiny building blocks that help our cells function. However, some proteins can also help cancer cells grow and survive.

The experimental treatment is designed to target and destroy a particular protein involved in the disease, potentially offering a different way of treating cancer.

The drug is now being investigated in people with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), an aggressive form of blood cancer, and a serious bone marrow condition known as high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

An important step towards potential new treatments

The clinical trial, called BRAMLIE, is expected to involve approximately 54 patients across several locations.

At this early stage, researchers will focus on understanding whether the drug is safe, how it behaves inside the body and whether it shows early signs of helping patients.

Although previous laboratory studies have shown encouraging results, it is still too early to know whether the treatment will prove effective in people.

Nevertheless, reaching the first patient trial represents a major achievement for the company and the Dundee research that helped make it possible.

Professor Ciulli, who leads the university’s Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation, welcomed the milestone.

He said: “This is a great step for Amphista, and hopefully ultimately for the many patients suffering with these terrible diseases, who are left with no other therapeutic options.”

Another achievement for Dundee’s life sciences sector

The announcement highlights Dundee’s growing international reputation for scientific research and the development of potential new medicines.

The University of Dundee has become a major centre for life sciences, with researchers working to understand diseases and develop innovative approaches to treatment.

Amphista’s progress shows how discoveries made in university laboratories can eventually lead to new companies, investment and potentially life-changing medical developments.

While there is still a long way to go before AMX-883 could become an approved medicine, the beginning of patient testing marks a hugely important moment.

What started as research in a Dundee laboratory has now reached patients, demonstrating the remarkable contribution the city’s scientists continue to make to medical research around the world.