New funding to bring global CAR-T trials to young cancer patients

The government is delivering the first investment under the $300 million MRFF Australian Cancer Research Program (ACRP), to bring international CAR-T clinical trials to Australia for children and young people.

A commitment of $5 million in grant funding over five years, from 2027–28, will support Australian participation in LifeArc’s Worldwide CAR-T Pathfinder Trial and Paediatric Cell Therapy Accelerator.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said, “It will help bring world-class international CAR-T clinical trials closer to home for Australian children and young people with cancer. More families may be able to access promising new therapies in Australia, rather than facing the significant financial and emotional burden of travelling overseas for treatment.”

Over the past 30 years, there has been little improvement in survival rates for children with solid tumours. Current treatment options, many of which were designed for adults, can cause long-term health impacts, such as infertility.

The ACRP is a landmark $300 million, 10-year MRFF investment to strengthen and coordinate cancer research nationally and includes the Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult (CAYA) Cancer Mission. The grant opportunity responds to priorities in Cancer Australia’s Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Roadmap, released earlier this year as a national framework to improve outcomesfor Australians aged up to 24 years affected by cancer.

Professor Dorothy Keefe PSM, CEO of Cancer Australia, said “The Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Roadmap provides national direction for improving outcomes and experiences, and this announcement demonstrates early progress in implementing its priorities. Together, we have an opportunity to build a more connected national childhood and young adult cancer system and deliver lasting improvements in care, research and outcomes.”

A clear example of childhood CAR-T clinical trials are the MIGHTY and SABRE studies which were launched by the Cancer Grand Challenges NexTGen transatlantic team, bringing together researchers from the UK, US, and France. These first-of-their-kind trials target difficult-to-treat paediatric solid tumours, including rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and desmoplastic small round cell tumours, with the aim of enrolling approximately 60 young patients.

Professor Brendan Murphy AC, Chair of Children’s Cancer CoLab, said “It is very encouraging to see the Australian Government investing in new treatment options for children and young people with cancer. This important and timely investment through the Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Mission, building on the Optimal Care Pathway in development, provides exciting opportunities to facilitate access to, and further local development of, novel therapies and best practice models of care.”

The MRFF ACRP grant opportunity is forecast to open in June 2027. Further research priorities and funding intentions will be announced in the coming months.

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