$20 million to establish world-leading clinical trial centre for all NSW residents: NORTH Sydney Trials and Research Van Norton Poche (NORTH S.T.A.R VNP)
A world-leading clinical trial centre in Sydney will soon provide increased access to international cancer clinical trials, thanks to a $20 million donation to the NORTH Foundation from philanthropists Greg Poche AO and the late Kay Van Norton Poche AO.
The NORTH Sydney Trials and Research Van Norton Poche (NORTH S.T.A.R VNP) is a partnership between Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD) and world-renowned Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
NORTH S.T.A.R VNP will be located at the Sydney North Health Precinct, which includes Royal North Shore and North Shore Private hospitals, and will be available to all Australians, with regional NSW hospital partnerships also established.
The NORTH Foundation is the official fundraising partner of the NSLHD, which includes the Royal North Shore Hospital, Ryde Hospital, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, Mona Vale Hospital, AYAH and the Kolling Institute. The Foundation works in partnership with NSLHD hospitals and research units to raise much-needed funds so they can continue to provide the best in patient care and drive research to find solutions to real-world health problems impacting our community. More information about the NORTH Foundation can be found at www.northfoundation.org.au
Four projects have been secured between New York and Sydney with one already underway. NORTH STAR clinicians will be moving quickly to expand enrolment of patients from Sydney to other parts of New South Wales, including Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Armidale, Bathurst, Orange, Dubbo and Gosford. These include:
1. Precision de-escalation of radiotherapy for patients with throat cancer guided by functional PET imaging as a non-invasive biomarker of hypoxia.
2. Improving breast cancer treatment for women who have residual disease, as determined by circulating tumour DNA, using a specialised blood test. This liquid biopsy technology-guided clinical trial is based on collaborative research between MSK and RNSH, which has resulted in multiple publications, including in leading journal Nature Medicine.
3. Gastric cancer project where a digital platform will be established for information transfer that will allow the development of a comprehensive database containing clinical, pathological and molecular data. Through this international database, the discovery of biomarkers and precision therapies will aid in improving treatment options and outcomes for patients, as well as identification of individual patients appropriate for clinical trials for this aggressive cancer.
4. Artificial intelligence to collect and utilise data that will help expedite cures for cancer and improve overall health outcomes for clinical trials by linking clinical records with existing databases such as MBS and PBS utilisation as well as patient recorded outcomes.
NSLHD Chief Executive Adjunct Professor Anthony M. Schembri AM said Northern Sydney Local Health District has some of the best cancer survival rates in Australia and has been at the forefront of research for more than a century, dedicated to diagnosing, preventing, and treating diseases to enhance community care.
“NORTH STAR will increase survival rates for Australians living with cancer and accelerate the work already underway at NSLHD alongside other premier institutes,” Adj. Prof. Schembri said.
“We are honoured to add NORTH STAR to our world and will forever be indebted to the foresight, generosity, and kindness of both Greg and Kay for being that shining light for so many.”
CEO of the NORTH Foundation, Gilbert Lorquet said Kay and Greg’s passion for philanthropy and their deep empathy for people have set a standard of giving that will hopefully inspire many more for years to come.
“In Kay’s own words to her treating oncologist and NORTH STAR Medical Director, Professor Stephen Clarke OAM, ‘Thank you for allowing me to help you’, and today because of Greg and Kay, we are one step closer to helping more Australians,” Mr Lorquet concluded.
Australians can build upon this legacy and help to create a future without cancer by donating to the NORTH Foundation today: northfoundation.org.au/northstar
The centre will also be used to attract the next generation of doctors, scientists and researchers to Australia and provide greater funding to discover cures through research and development.
Within months of the launch, the Centre will open four new studies including three clinical trials, providing access to new treatments for patients across metropolitan, regional and rural NSW.
Work will also begin on improving collaboration between hospitals, doctors and allied health professionals so every patient can participate in clinical trials, no matter where they live, with a focus on rural and regional residents and Aboriginal people and a vision to expand the number of clinical trials, sites and enrolments nationally.
Minister for Health, Ryan Park stated:
"This global partnership will enhance treatment for NSW residents with cancer and position our hospitals as the centre of international collaboration between the brightest minds in the medical world.
"NSLHD has been at the forefront of research for more than a century, dedicated to diagnosing, preventing, and treating diseases to enhance community care.
“We thank Greg Poche AO and the late Kay Van Norton Poche AO for their immense generosity and belief in our expert team of healthcare professionals across NSW.”
Minister for Medical Research, David Harris, said:
“We are excited by the launch of NORTH S.T.A.R VNP and the possibilities it brings for residents and their doctors throughout NSW.
“This collaboration will enhance access to landmark cancer trials, especially for people based in rural and regional NSW, and it will help ensure equal access to support and treatment for our Aboriginal people."
Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Dr Michael Holland stated:
"I am pleased to represent the Minns Labor Government today in front of hundreds of local, national and international colleagues in the medical field, where together we are bringing to life the vision of Kay and Greg to accelerate a cure for cancer.
“As a physician, I know that clinical trials are a powerful tool to bring hope to patients and their families, and at the same time, provide much-needed treatment to improve lives and cure illnesses."