Genedrive – a molecular diagnostics company – has announced that its Genedrive MT-RNR1 ID kit is due to be rolled out at two further hospital sites across the North West NHS.

The project is due to begin in April and follows the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s (NICE’s) final recommendation for use of the test throughout the NHS.

Meanwhile, The Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC) Women and Children Domain, which is part of Health Innovation Manchester (HInM), is overseeing the further roll out across Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.

Genedrive will also operate alongside HInM on particular initiatives across an additional five neonatal sites in the Greater Manchester area. Furthermore, once fully subscribed at this regional level, the test would be available when needed to circa 30,000 newborns over the next NHS fiscal year.

MAHSC is one of eight national centres chosen by NICE and NHS England for demonstrating excellence driving innovation into the health service and patient care.

David Budd, chief executive officer at Genedrive plc, explained: “While we work with clinicians and implementers nationally on a Trust-by-Trust basis, near-term roll outs such as this one in Greater Manchester will benefit from additional coordination and support.”

He added: “We are grateful for the engagement from HInM and MFT, which will be an example for future regional roll outs elsewhere in the country. It’s an important milestone for the company as we work to ensuring every newborn has access to the Genedrive MT-RNR1 ID test when needed.”

Dr Ajit Mahaveer, clinical head of division, newborn services at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, concluded: “The Genedrive MT-RNR1 test was piloted here at MFT. This initiative will allow us to expand testing to the neonatal units at North Manchester General Hospital and Wythenshawe Hospital.”

As part of wider patient treatment, thousands of patients will be able to gain access to an NHS prescribed drug that will help them lose weight.

The treatment will help those individuals using it to reduce their weight by more than 10% when used in combination with the support of an NHS multidisciplinary team. These professionals coach people on lifestyle interventions, while also monitoring the drug’s potential side effects.

Clinical trial evidence demonstrates that people lose more weight with semaglutide alongside supervised weight loss coaching than with the support alone. It will be available to NHS patients following the launch from Novo Nordisk, the drug’s manufacturer.

Meanwhile, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended the use of semaglutide – also known as Wegovy – alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to adults with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35kg/m2 or who have at least one weight-related comorbidity.
Furthermore, patients with a BMI of between 30-34.9kg/m2, with one weight-related comorbidity who are eligible for referral to specialist weight management services may also have access to the drug.

Among the qualifying conditions are dysglycaemia, hypertension, dyslipidaemia – in which disturbances in fat metabolism lead to changes in the concentrations of lipids in the blood – obstructive sleep apnoea or cardiovascular disease.

Semaglutide can only be prescribed for a maximum of two years within a specialist weight management service providing multidisciplinary management of weight or obesity. Administration involves patients injecting themselves once a week with pens pre-filled with semaglutide.

Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE, reflected: “For some people losing weight is a real challenge, which is why a medicine like semaglutide is a welcome option. It won’t be available to everyone. Our committee has made specific recommendations to ensure it remains value for money for the taxpayer, and it can only be used for a maximum of two years.”