A patient at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) has become the first in Europe to take part in a pioneering new drug trial for blood cancer.
The LINKER study is testing a new type of treatment designed to help the body’s own immune system find and destroy myeloma cells. The drug, called linvoseltamab, works by bringing cancer cells and immune cells together so the body can target the disease more effectively.
Vanessa Maule was diagnosed with myeloma in 2023 following severe back and rib pain: “I was told I had an incurable but highly treatable form of blood cancer and started treatment almost immediately. In 2025, I was on the road to recovery; back at work, travelling and taking part in a charity coast path walk with friends for Myeloma Awareness Week.”
A PET scan in February 2026 confirmed that the myeloma was active again, and the LINKER trial became available as Vanessa was discussing treatment options.
Vanessa added: “It was really disappointing to get the news that it was active again, but I was encouraged by feeling well in myself, and there was no hesitation about being part of the trial. I felt positive about the promising effects of the medication, despite also knowing there were some initial risks.
“I have been well-informed and looked after and have a great deal of trust in the Haematology Team. The drug has already been used in US myeloma treatment, so the trial factor was having access to it earlier. I was surprised when I heard I was the first patient to be treated in Europe. I feel so lucky, and it’s mind-boggling to know that some of my blood goes off to labs in Edinburgh and Switzerland.
“It was so fortuitous that this trial came along just as I needed more treatment. It’s great that there is cutting-edge medicine available in Cornwall, and that the research team works so relentlessly to secure these opportunities. I feel proud being part of the trial; knowing that the data gathered about me and my myeloma can help other patients in the future gives me hope because having myeloma means you want to live well with the disease for as long as you can.”
Denise Storey, Senior Research Nurse at RCHT, added: “We’re proud to be playing such an important role in international research with the first patient in Europe joining this study here in Cornwall.
“Research like this wouldn’t happen without patients who are willing to take part, and it’s inspiring to see our patients, like Vanessa, helping move treatment forward, not just for themselves, but for others in the future.”
Visit the RCHT research webpages for more information about the team and trials in Cornwall.
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