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A new drug that could keep thousands of brain cancer patients alive has been developed by a hero doctor who was the first to the scene of the IRA bombing in Manchester.

Medic Dr James Stuart, 54, was the first medical incident officer to arrive at the 1996 attack overseeing all medical care for everyone injured until they arrived at hospital.

The father of four and divisional medical director at Pennine Acute NHS Trust, worked alongside friends and brothers Simon and Jan Cohen to develop a new liquid drug containing aspirin.

Experts say it can cross the ‘blood-brain barrier’ – something that has so far stopped cancer drugs from working effectively against brain tumours.

Doctors believe it could be a ‘magic bullet’ transporting chemotherapy drugs, which are delivered into the blood stream, directly to the tumour for the first time.

Less than 20 per cent of brain cancer patients survive more than five years, compared to 87 per cent for breast cancer and 98 per cent for testicular cancer.

(Image: PA)

The standard treatment involves surgery to remove the tumour, followed by radiotherapy and then chemotherapy.

But chemotherapy is rarely effective because the drug’s molecules are too big to cross the blood-brain barrier - a membrane which divides blood cells from cerebral fluid.

Sue Farrington Smith, chief executive of Brain Tumour Research, said: “This is a potential game-changer for research into brain tumours and clearly shows what sustainable research is able to achieve. It is science like this that will enable us to eventually find a cure for this devastating disease which kills more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.”

The three-man team from Bury-based Innovate Pharmaceuticals combined reformulated aspirin with two additional ingredients into a soluble form.

(Image: PA)

Research, carried out by the company at the University of Portsmouth, revealed this simple drug is able to cross the ‘blood-brain barrier’ – something that has so far stopped cancer drugs from attacking brain tumours.

Scientists say it could be highly effective against glioblastoma (GBM), which is one of the most aggressive forms of the disease, killing thousands of patients each year.

Dr Stuart, from Ramsbottom, has been working with Simon and Jan, who grew up in Prestwich, since 1994.

He is the company’s chief executive officer, and Jan the chief operating officer, alongside running his own law practice in Manhattan, New York.

He saw the clinical need for the drug and together they decided to develop it.

(Image: MEN)

Dr Stuart, who has also been medical director at Sedgley Park Rugby Club since 1996, said: “Having worked on a variety of projects with Simon and Jan, we decided to embark on a search for innovative solutions to help clinical patients and in particular ‘the holy grail’ of aspirin research, a true shelf stable liquid aspirin.

“After six years of trial work with a variety of different ingredients working with a multi-national company we finally succeeded in producing and patenting, the World’s first liquid aspirin.”