Research into some of the world’s rarest forms of cancer and disease have received a boost, with the Morrison Government announcing 27 grant recipients under the 2021 Rare Cancers, Rare Diseases and Unmet Need (RCRDUN) grant opportunity.
The grants have been awarded to 27 projects through the grant opportunity, which aims to increase clinical trial activity in Australia for rare cancers and rare disease by supporting new, high quality research.
The RCRDUN opportunity also encourages novel and innovative clinical trial methodologies, such as the application of precision medicine to take individual genetic variation into account in disease treatment.
Rare cancers and rare diseases are specific, life threatening or chronically debilitating health conditions that affect fewer than 1 in 2,000 people.
With limited treatment options, patient outcomes may not be optimal and the combined health burden on the patient and the health sector is significant.
Among the 27 grant recipients are:
- $1,515,180 to the University of New South Wales to trial combination precision guided therapies for high risk childhood cancer, based on each child’s individual tumour profile. This can support better targeted treatments based on precision medicine for children with the most aggressive cancers.
- $2,970,301 to Monash University, for a study that will test whether a structured radiology report can improve the accuracy of reporting of CT scans in pancreatic cancer, to help doctors distinguish patients who should receive chemotherapy before surgery versus surgery alone, to optimise care. Identifying the most effective treatment for patients as quickly as possible will support improved outcomes from this devastating cancer.
The RCRDUN opportunity follows previous clinical trial activity funded under the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Clinical Trials Activity initiative.
The Coalition Government is proud to have invested almost $2 billion in ground-breaking medical research through the MRFF to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians.
Investing in health and medical research is a key priority of the Government’s Long Term National Health Plan. Research of all kinds is essential to improve our prevention of disease, health care and treatments, and to make our health system work better for all Australians.
The Government’s MRFF is a $20 billion endowment fund, a long-term investment supporting Australia’s best and brightest researchers. Further information about the MRFF is available at www.health.gov.au/mrff
2021 Rare Cancers, Rare Diseases and Unmet Need Grant Opportunity
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