ChromaDose to improve chemotherapy for children

The 30-month project, supported by the NIHR-funded London In-Vitro Diagnostic Co-operative, is focused on development of a bedside automated drug monitoring tool. The ‘ChromaDose’ device will allow for point-of-care testing of drug exposure in blood samples of children receiving anthracyclines — a type of medicine used in chemotherapy.

Drug exposure describes the concentration of medicine in the blood and is an important factor in determining whether the patient will experience severe side effects. Anthracyclines can cause heart problems in up to 65 per cent of children, most often due to dose-related cardiotoxicity. 

Until now, the standard method for determining the dose of anthracyclines in children has been to use the patient’s weight and height. Due to inconsistencies in the way that medicines are processed by children of the same size, this can reduce drug safety and increase the potential for harmful side effects.