The path to developing new treatments for childhood cancer is more challenging than the development of adult cancer treatments. Given childhood cancer is rarer than adult types, there is reduced financial incentive for pharmaceutical companies to invest in drug development in a childhood patient population.
To help overcome this, governments in the US and Europe have created special programs that reward companies for including children in their cancer drug development. The United States’ RACE for Children Act requires companies to test adult cancer drugs in children if they share the same target. Still, progress is slow.
Childhood cancers behave very differently from adult cancers, and because there are fewer children diagnosed, it’s harder to run large clinical trials. As a result, childhood cancer research is often a worldwide effort. With the right support, we will be able to close the gap and bring better outcomes to children with cancer sooner.
The Australian & New Zealand Children’s Haematology/Oncology Group, or ANZCHOG, is one such body that works to assist in removing roadblocks for childhood cancer research in Oceania by improving access to clinical trials and access to cutting-edge research pioneered both domestically and the world over.
The Kids’ Cancer Project has an ongoing partnership with ANZCHOG, which commenced in 2015. This partnership has given Australian and New Zealand children with cancer more opportunities to access new drugs and treatments with clinical trials now considered best practice in childhood cancer care.
This beneficial partnership has also resulted in capacity and capability building, as shown by an increased number of clinical trials, improved access for children from both a geographical perspective and an improvement in timelines for access, especially for rarer cancers, and the improved ability to engage with international collaborative partners.
The Commonwealth Government-funded organisation assists in the accelerated development of clinical trials, which ensures effective treatments for kids with cancer sooner. Our partnership has been important in improving access to clinical trial for Australian children.
ANZCHOG’s mission is to strive for excellence in clinical trials and care, research, professional education and advocacy. Its two key areas of focus are to optimise its portfolio of clinical trials and to shape the development of the professional community.
Read more about our alliance