Up to £2,719,297 has been granted in funding to Newcastle’s Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) to allow new treatments to be developed and existing treatments improved.
The ECMC is a partnership between Newcastle University and Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and forms part of a network of 17 ECMCs across the UK.
The funding is possible due to collaboration between Cancer Research UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, and the Little Princess Trust.
Cancer Research UK’s Executive Director of Research and Innovation, Dr Iain Foulkes, commented: “We are proud to be supporting an expansion of our successful ECMC network, bringing together vast medical and scientific expertise to translate the latest scientific discoveries from the lab into the clinic.
“The ECMC network is delivering the cancer treatments of the future, bringing new hope to people affected by cancer. The trials taking place today will give the next generation the best possible chance of beating cancer.”
He added: “The adult and paediatric ECMC networks will offer clinical trials for many different types of cancer. Researchers will be working to find new treatments and tackle the unique challenges presented by cancers in children and young people. Working with our partners, this new funding will bring hope for more effective, personalised therapies for everyone affected by cancer.”
Chief Executive of the NIHR, Professor Lucy Chappell, said: “The ECMC Network is a vital strategic investment in the UK’s cancer research community, bringing together top scientists and clinicians to tackle some of the biggest scientific challenges in cancer and improve outcomes for patients.
“Through this route, we enable more people to join trials that could help them. The ECMC Network will give access to brand new experimental treatments for patients, including children and young people, paving the way for these treatments to be used in the clinic one day. This is a crucial part of NIHR’s work, and enables more people to join trials that might help them. We are proud to be partnering with Cancer Research UK and the Little Princess Trust in funding this network.”
