Baseline Biomarker Check (BBC)

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Baseline Biomarker Check (BBC) - Integrating bioinformatic and biomarker data in psychosis

• IRAS ID

  250682

• Contact name

  Philip K. McGuire

• Contact email

  philip.mcguire@kcl.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  King's College London Address

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 10 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  In around a third of patients with psychosis, conventional antipsychotic medication is ineffective. In clinical practice, there is typically a delay of over 4 years before these patients are offered appropriate treatment. If we can more effectively predict treatment response, patients who are unlikely to benefit from conventional antipsychotic medication could be fast-tracked to the correct treatment.

  Research at King’s College London has identified several clinically relevant biological markers (so-called ‘Biomarkers’) to predict outcomes in psychosis.

  The baseline biomarker check (BBC) is a translational study developed between researchers at King’s College London and clinicians at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation. Patients newly diagnosed with first episode psychosis who meet eligibility criteria will be offered a standardized baseline assessment prior to the initiation of antipsychotic treatment. This will include a clinical interview, blood test and brain scan. The assessment will take place over one to two days in a centralized location. They will then be followed up after approximately 2 months to assess whether they have responded to treatment. Biomarkers collected at baseline will be used to predict treatment outcome in patients.

  A healthy control group will also be enrolled to facilitate interpretation of baseline assessment.
  
  Personalised medicine has transformed other medical specialities; this study will aim to develop a personalised medicine approach to psychiatry. In particular, the study aims to set up a system to inform clinicians how likely a patient will be to respond to conventional antipsychotic treatment, to improve treatment outcome.
  
  The BBC study utilize the expertise at King’s College London in conducting large internationally renowned psychosis research with the infrastructure and patient access available within South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

• REC name

  London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  19/LO/1121

• Date of REC Opinion

  15 Nov 2019

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion