Aussies drive brain cancer drug

Australia is spearheading the world-first clinical trial of Providence Therapeutics’ personalised cancer vaccine for children and adolescents with some of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant brain cancers.

The Canadian mRNA medicines platform company has partnered with the University of Queensland and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), which will co-lead the project after receiving $2.578 million in funding from the Australian Government.

The trial is available for paediatric patients with relapsed and unresponsive high-grade tumours, medulloblastoma, ependymoma, high-grade glioma and newly diagnosed diffuse midline glioma.