The CTSU was established by the charity in 2004 as a direct response to the need for a dedicated facility to meet the needs of new European regulations surrounding clinical trial work in the European Union.
When first established the role of the CTSU was to co-ordinate and carry out drug manufacture, taking this function over from the Simon Flavell Laboratories at Southampton General Hospital. The CTSU’s function also extended to safety testing of antibody-based drugs manufactured there and also to the testing of blood samples from patients receiving these treatments to determine the levels of drug in the blood at various intervals of time after administration. This type of testing is of vital importance to the successful development of any new drug.
The CTSU’s function has now been extended further and has become a key player in the charity’s endeavours to develop the next generation of genetically engineered antibodies and immunotoxins for use in future patients. New monoclonal antibodies against leukaemia and lymphoma cells are now being produced at CTSU, characterised and then stored at ultra-low temperatures for future use and development.
The CTSU will in the near future become the charity’s main hub for the co-ordination of clinical trials with its genetically engineered antibodies and immunotoxins once these become available in the near future.