Blood Cancer UK invests in international programme to help speed up new blood cancer treatments

The funding will support the Therapy Acceleration Program (TAP), run by Blood Cancer United (formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society), which backs innovative biotech companies developing potential new treatments for blood cancers.

Every year in the UK, more than 40,000 people are diagnosed with blood cancer - the UK’s third biggest cancer killer. While treatments have improved dramatically for many blood cancers, too many people still face limited options, relapse, or difficult side effects. Faster access to better treatments remains urgently needed.

That’s why Blood Cancer UK is investing in TAP, a programme focused on helping promising scientific discoveries move more quickly from the laboratory into clinical trials and, ultimately, to patients.

TAP identifies and supports companies around the world that are developing potentially groundbreaking treatments for blood cancer. By providing funding, scientific expertise and strategic support, the programme helps researchers and biotech companies overcome one of the biggest barriers in medical research: turning a promising scientific discovery into a treatment that can actually reach people.

Since launching in 2007, TAP has supported six therapies that have gone on to gain regulatory approval or be included in treatment guidelines, with more than 30 active clinical studies currently involving TAP-supported therapies.

Dr Rubina Ahmed, Director of Research, Policy and Services at Blood Cancer UK, said:
“People with blood cancer urgently need access to better, kinder and more effective treatments. This investment supports a key ambition in our research strategy, working in partnership to help speed up the development of promising innovations so they can move into the clinic and reach patients sooner.

“Scientific breakthroughs alone are not enough. We also need to help promising discoveries make the difficult journey from the lab into treatments people can actually benefit from. TAP looks internationally for the most promising science, wherever it is happening. Through this partnership, we also hope to see more innovation from UK-based researchers and companies becoming part of that global pipeline, helping exciting ideas move closer to benefiting patients.”

Blood Cancer UK’s research strategy includes a growing focus on supporting the development and translation of research into real-world patient benefit. This includes working in partnership to help accelerate innovation and tackle gaps where traditional research funding can struggle to support early-stage development.

Investment returns generated through TAP are reinvested into future blood cancer research, helping support the development of even more potential treatments over time.