Glasgow to pioneer personalised medicine creation

A high-tech new imaging centre that could help with the development of personalised medicines is being funded by the Scottish Government.

The facility will be based at the new South Glasgow Hospital

Health Secretary Alex Neil announced £3 million for the initiative, which will be part of a £15.3 million Glasgow University clinical research facility on the new South Glasgow Hospital site.

The funding should mean that a state of the art research imaging suite is in place when the new hospital opens in 2015.

Personalised medicine involves the creation of treatments that have been specially tailored for the patients, based on their genetic make-up.

Advanced equipment at the imaging centre should help medics predict which treatments will be most efficient and effective for patients.

Mr Neil said: “Personalised medicine holds huge potential in the development of new treatments for diseases such as cancer.

“It is one of the most significant advances in 21st century health research as it looks to move away from the one-treatment-fits-all approach to one where a patient’s specific genetic makeup determines the most appropriate treatment.”

He said the £3 million funding “shows the Scottish Government’s support for the important work of the University of Glasgow and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to bring innovation into our NHS”.

Mr Neil added: “This imaging centre will ensure that Glasgow continues to be at the forefront of research - allowing them to use new technology that offers a glimpse of the future of personalised medicine.”

Professor Anna Dominiczak, vice-principal and head of College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences at the University of Glasgow said the development of this type of medicine would “be critical to the long term ability of healthcare systems around the world to meet the growing challenges of an ageing population and advanced treatment options”.

She added: “Above all, it will benefit patients. Here in Scotland we are uniquely placed to be pioneers in this field and the new South Glasgow Hospitals Campus provides an unrivalled opportunity to promote collaborative stratified medicine across Scotland, the UK and beyond.”

Grant Archibald, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde lead director for acute services, said: “We very much welcome this investment. The presence of such world class research and development facilities will allow us to fully exploit the exciting opportunities of the New South Glasgow Hospitals to deliver benefit to patients locally, nationally and internationally.”