I was at death’s door six months ago
HOPE WITH
JOE Murphy was once a fit and healthy bar manager and a staple member of staff at some of Manchester’s bestknown nightspots, including Sankeys and Warehouse Project.
But that changed when, aged just 50, he was admitted to hospital and given the devastating news that he had lifethreatening cancer.
In May 2015, Joe became unwell and was admitted to hospital with pneumonia. It was discovered that Joe was suffering from chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
After a stem cell match couldn’t be found for a bone marrow transplant, Joe started treatment at The Christie cancer treatment centre in south Manchester – but then was hit with another horrific blow as his body became resistant to the drugs doctors had used to force his cancer into remission.
With a collapsing immune system, he developed sepsis and meningitis and was in and out of hospital before doctors discovered cancer in his spinal fluid. Joe was told he would likely die.
Joe was ‘on death’s door’ and had no options left, until ‘something out of a sci-fi movie happened.’ With no other options left, Joe was offered the chance to participate in an early phase (phase I) clinical trial at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust for a new drug that could be a breakthrough for patients like him.
The drug is so new that it doesn’t have a name – currently being known as NX-5948. And, incredibly, his latest blood tests show no sign of the disease.
Talking about his experience, Joe, from Hulme, said: “I was at death’s door six months ago, with no options left. Mentally, I wasn’t in a good place.
“It’s been very tough, and if it wasn’t for this clinical trial I wouldn’t be here.
“This is an incredible drug, like something out of a sci-fi movie. The science is amazing. It’s kept me alive and well since June last year.”
NX-5948 is for the treatment of patients with CLL whose disease has come back after previous treatment or the cancer has stopped responding to treatment. The NX-5948 is taken in capsule form once a day, and Joe agreed to take part in research at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Manchester Clinical Research Facility at The Christie, starting his first treatment in June 2023.
The drug, developed by Nurix Therapeutics, is in a new class of treatments for blood cancers known as ‘degraders.’ It gets rid of a protein in the cell that is responsible for driving cancer growth by putting it in the cell’s ‘dustbin,’ known as the proteasome, which removes unneeded and damaged proteins.
Joe now takes six capsules a day, feels fit and well and has monthly visits to see his doctor and scans every three months. His latest blood tests could not find any evidence of the CLL.
Joe added: “I’m putting weight back on, my blood count is fine, my lymph nodes have shrunk back to near normal, and it’s worked successfully in getting rid of the cancer in my brain, which is such a relief. It’s been a very difficult nine years, but I can now look to the future and plan to celebrate my 60th birthday in December.”
Dr Emma Searle, consultant haematologist at The Christie, and the principal investigator for the trial said: “This might be the breakthrough we’ve been looking for in the treatment of CLL. The new trial drug is designed to eliminate leukaemia from cells by degrading a critical growth protein.”
She added: “This is a very early phase clinical trial so we’re still working out what the highest safe dose can be. To already see some of our patients like Joe responding so well to the treatment, with minimal side effects is very promising.”
BAR BOSS GIVEN NEW
CLINICAL TRIAL