New research suggests that a common drug given to arthritis sufferers could also be used to treat patients with blood cancers.

Researchers at the University of Sheffield found that Methotrexate (MTX), which is one thousandth of the cost of the current drug used to treat Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), a group of blood disorders related to leukemia, can also provide relief.

"Given that a year's course of low-dose MTX costs around $45, the potential to repurpose MTX could provide thousands of patients with a much needed treatment option and also generate substantial savings for health care systems," researcher Dr. Martin Zeidler said in a statement. "Because MTX is a World Health Organization 'Essential Medicine', this also means that this well understood drug could be used throughout the developing world."

The arthritis drug is commonly used at low doses to treat inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and psoriasis and has few side effects. It is also used in some cancers at much higher doses where the side effects are substantial and similar to other chemotherapy agents.

MPNs are most often diagnosed in people in their 50s and 60s and currently treatment is limited to aspirin, removal of excess blood and mild chemotherapy. Recently, the drug Ruxolitinib has been developed and has been shown to provide relief, but at a cost of more than $ 60,000 per year per patient, it has not been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Zeidler is now working with clinical colleagues at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital to examine the possibility of repurposing low-dose MTX for the treatment of blood cancers.

"We have the potential to revolutionize the treatment of this group of chronic diseases - a breakthrough that may ultimately represent a new treatment option able to bring relief to both patients and health funders," he added.

The findings are detailed in the journal PLOS One.