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 NHS Scotland has agreed to fund a new drug that will improve the recovery of over half of stem cell transplant patients, after a lengthy consultation with Anthony Nolan. 

The Scottish Medicine Consortium (SMC) has announced that Letermovir (Prevymis) which is used to prevent a virus called cytomegalovirus (CMV) from causing serious illness in patients after stem cell transplant, has been approved as of today. The decision follows calls from patients, clinical experts and Anthony Nolan. 

It’s not every day you get to meet the person who saved your life, but Laura Regan from Cockburnspath in the Scottish Borders had that opportunity when she was united with the anonymous person who donated their stem cells to give her a second chance of life for a soon-to-air episode of ITV’s This Time Next Year. 

Blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan has welcomed the inclusion of stem cell donation in new Health Education guidelines. Plans set out this week by the Education Secretary Damian Hinds MP confirm that, from September 2020, all secondary school pupils across England have the opportunity to learn about stem cell donation.

Henny Braund, Chief Executive of Anthony Nolan said:

'We are delighted that the Department for Education has included stem cell donation in its new Health Education guidelines.

Blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan has recruited its first transplant clinical psychologists in a ground-breaking move to better support transplant patients’ mental as well as physical health.

The three posts, a children’s transplant psychologist based in Greater Glasgow and Clyde hospital and two adult transplant psychologists based St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London and Southampton General Hospital will allow transplant patients to access targeted psychological care raising the standard of post-transplant care around the country.

Oscar Saxelby-Lee: Stem cell matches found for boy https://t.co/xEQUNaEMtV

A mother from Fort William is calling for more people to sign up as potential stem cell donors, after her daughter was diagnosed with an extremely rare cancer and told she urgently needs a stem cell transplant. 

Chloe Purvis, who is just nine years old, was diagnosed with MDS (myelodysplastic syndrome), a rare type of blood cancer, at the end of last year. The average age for someone to be diagnosed with MDS is 75 years old, so it’s extremely unusual for a child to receive this diagnosis.

Jason Branthwaite, from Bolton, with be taking part in seven different cycling events in just three months to raise money for Anthony Nolan, the charity that saved his son’s life. 

Jason, along with other Anthony Nolan supporters including Olivia Colman, is sharing his story as part of the charity’s My Anthony Nolan Story campaign. 

Last week, student volunteers in universities across London recruited hundreds of young Londoners to the Anthony Nolan stem cell register. 

The week-long campaign, ‘Londonors’, which ran from Monday 28th January to Friday 1st February, was spearheaded by ‘Marrow’, blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan’s student volunteer network, which operates in seven universities across the capital.

Actor Olivia Colman, Patron of blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan, has revealed the story behind her support for the organisation. 

In a new film released on World Cancer Day (4th February) Olivia shares her ‘Anthony Nolan Story’ which began after the charity found a stem cell donor for one of her close friends, named Pip.

In the film Olivia reveals:

Student volunteers in universities across London are attempting to recruit hundreds of young Londoners to the Anthony Nolan stem cell register.

The week-long campaign, ‘Londonors’, which launched on Monday 28th January, is being spearheaded by ‘Marrow’, blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan’s student volunteer network, which operates in seven universities across the capital.