Introducing Professor Julian Gillmore

Professor Gillmore is distinguished for his expertise in the field of amyloidosis and has extensive experience in the development, diagnosis and treatment of this disease. He has published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles and is the principal investigator on a range of amyloid-related clinical trials.

Richmond Pharmacology has been working in partnership with Professor Julian Gillmore, research lead at the UK National Amyloidosis Centre on many Phase I, II and III studies for over six years.

One clinical trial involves a completely new medical technology known as ‘gene editing’. This will be administered for the first time in humans to a patient with amyloidosis and has the potential to treat a wide range of medical conditions in the future. Positive outcomes in these clinical trials could offer hope of a better quality of life and long-term survival to patients with ATTR amyloidosis for the first time.

Although the outcome of the trials is unknown at this stage, Professor Gillmore believes these trials could provide treatment options to try to halt disease progression in patients with both hereditary and non-hereditary transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis who do not otherwise have any such treatments available to them.

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The partnership between the UK National Amyloidosis Centre and Richmond Pharmacology

The partnership between the UK National Amyloidosis Centre and Richmond Pharmacology has enabled many patients to be enrolled into these exciting new trials in a very short space of time. This means that most patients attending the National Amyloidosis Centre with ATTR amyloidosis now have a potential treatment option whereas only a few years ago there were no treatments at all for their condition.

These trials demonstrate promise, however it is important to note that the success of a new study medication is not guaranteed.

Each new medication must go through four phases of clinical trials before it can be prescribed by a medical professional. This is to ensure the safety, tolerability and efficacy of the study medication. The clinical trial data is examined continuously to monitor the effects of the medication and if the results are not favourable, studies are paused or terminated.

The medicine development process can take between five to ten years to develop a suitable medication which meets all medical and regulatory requirements.