Terumo BCT is pleased to announce that Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) has been named the recipient of the 2014 Plasma Exchange Innovation Award. The award is part of a program that supports one or more grants up to $100,000 to fund innovative science and research that will generate novel therapeutic plasma exchange practices.

The lead investigator is Rino Cerio, BSc, MBBS, FRCP (Edin.), FRCP (Lon.) FRCPath. He is Professor of Dermatopathology and senior consultant dermatologist at QMUL and Clinical and Academic Director of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery at Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK.

The Plasma Exchange Innovation Award is intended to encourage the investigation of novel scientific ideas, best practices, tools and standards for the advancement of plasma exchange therapy. QMUL will receive $100,000 to fund a research proposal from lead investigator Professor Cerio and co-investigator Louise Fuller, Specialist Registrar Dermatology, Barts Health NHS Trust & Broomfield Hospital.

The name of the research proposal is “A pilot study to investigate clinical efficacy, safety, and immunologic effects after therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) in adults with severe psoriasis who fail on systemic medication including biologics and severe recalcitrant atopic dermatitis.” The study will investigate the use of TPE in adults in both severe psoriasis (who have failed systemic treatment) and severe atopic dermatitis, and the study aims to establish the clinical and serological response to TPE in these patients