The UK DRI has today announced a major new research collaboration with GSK and Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) to advance understanding of neurodegeneration with a first-of-its kind dementia study.
The innovative project aims to use the UK’s unique health data ecosystem to explore an observed association between GSK’s shingles vaccine, Recombinant Zoster Vaccine (RZV), and a reduced risk of dementia. If successful, this could serve as a blueprint for population level health data research models, reinforcing the UK’s position as a world-leading destination for scientific research.
Data from several retrospective observational studies show potential association between shingles vaccination, including with RZV, and a reduced risk of dementia. However, the retrospective and observational nature of these studies means they are susceptible to unmeasured confounding factors and determining causal association has not been possible.
The new research collaboration aims to overcome this by using high quality, deidentified, population-level electronic health data from the NHS to assess the impact of RZV vaccination on dementia risk reduction. There are around 1.4 million 65 and 66 years olds in the UK and their eligible electronic health records are expected to give a robust and comprehensive dataset which will account for factors such as RZV vaccination, age, sex and co-existing medical conditions. The research will take 4 years to complete.
Through cross-disciplinary collaboration that combines cutting-edge research capabilities with data at scale, we hope to showcase the potential of UK health data to improve not only our fundamental understanding of dementia but to identify potential interventions that could have a transformational impact.
Director & CEO
Tony Wood, Chief Scientific Officer, GSK, said:
“GSK has a long-standing commitment to advancing science that tackles the most challenging health issues. The UK’s unique national scale health data resources provide a significant opportunity for cutting-edge research. We hope this world-class research collaboration will not only answer key questions to help reduce dementia risk but also pave the way for future data-led research to unravel the underlying causes of complex diseases so we can get ahead of them.”
Science Secretary Peter Kyle said:
“Dementia is one of the biggest challenges to health in our time, touching so many lives – which is why research to combat its devastating effects is so important. This is a wonderful example of the private sector working hand-in-hand with the public and third sector, leveraging the power of health data, to drive a greater understanding of how we might reduce the risk of dementia.”
Professor Andrew Morris, Director of Health Data Research UK, said:
“Dementia represents one of the greatest challenges of our time, affecting millions of families across the UK and beyond. This study is novel and exciting because it aims to realise the public health benefit of the UK’s rich abundance of health data by answering a research question on a condition that impacts so many. By working closely with the NHS in the four UK nations to ensure data privacy and security, we can enable prevention-focused research, deepen our understanding of disease and support the NHS in shifting from treating sickness to keeping people healthier for longer – helping them live better lives.”
Source: GSK
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