NEW YORK – A group of Australian universities and cancer institutes announced on Monday they have launched the Victorian Paediatric Cancer Consortium (VPCC) to help advance treatments for pediatric cancers.
The consortium received an A$35 million (US$23.5 million) grant from the Victorian government and A$10 million from the Children's Cancer Foundation and aims to develop safer treatments and clinical trial programs for pediatric cancer, including precision treatments. The group will also provide a childhood cancer survivorship program and pediatric cancer physician training.
The partners in the consortium include the Hudson Institute, the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, the Monash Children's Hospital, the Royal Children's Hospital, the University of Melbourne, Monash University, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, and the Children's Cancer Foundation.
The VPCC will be led by Udani Reets, the consortium's new CEO who is a former director of partnerships at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and a board of directors.
"We are grateful for the VPCC's continuous commitment and investment in the Next Generation Precision Medicine Program and the living biobank at the Hudson Institute," Ron Firestein, center head for the Centre for Cancer Research at the Hudson Institute. "By leveraging advanced research capabilities, we are enabling critical discoveries in personalized therapies that can significantly improve survival rates and quality of life for children with cancer. This investment strengthens our ability to deliver innovative, targeted treatments to the children who need them most."