$20 million funding boost for childhood brain cancer research

The Australian Government is investing close to $20 million in funding for Australian researchers to support groundbreaking national research that will give new hope to Australian children, adolescents and young adults with childhood brain cancers, including Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG).

The Hon Mark Butler MP
Minister for Health and Aged Care

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The Australian Government is investing close to $20 million in funding for Australian researchers to support groundbreaking national research that will give new hope to Australian children, adolescents and young adults with childhood brain cancers, including Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG).
 
Brain tumours are the most common solid tumour cancer among Australian children and are often fatal. DIPG is a rare and incredibly aggressive brain tumour. It is almost exclusively diagnosed in children, with most children living for only nine months following diagnosis. 
 
Three universities successfully applied for funding through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) 2024 Paediatric Brain Cancer Research grants.
 
The grant opportunity included $14 million to establish a national childhood brain cancer clinical trial consortium, and $6 million for early-stage clinical research to increase our understanding of childhood brain cancer and develop new treatments.
 
Monash University researchers will receive $2 million to work towards improving outcomes for children with high-grade gliomas, including DIPG by developing new therapies which target specific genetic mutations.
 
They were also awarded $14 million for the CoACT-Brain Cancer: The Consortium for Australian Children’s Trials in Brain Cancer project. This will ensure children with brain cancer can access the world’s most promising clinical trials.
 
The University of Newcastle ($2 million) will use cutting edge technologies including artificial intelligence to develop a treatment regimen to improve outcomes for children with diffuse midline glioma. 
 
The University of Western Australia received $1.1 million to develop safer and more effective treatments for rare brain cancers in babies. This research will build on existing evidence which shows newer drugs are more likely to kill cancerous cells.
 
This research funding follows the Australian Government’s move in 2024 to ensure families have access to ONC201, an experimental medicine targeting DIPG.
 
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
 
“Research is a key weapon in our unrelenting fight against DIPG and childhood brain cancer.
 
“This funding is a testament to all the families that have been impacted by DIPG and their relentless advocacy.

“We need bold and innovative research approaches to find treatments and a cure for DIPG and childhood brain cancer.

“Australia has some of the best researchers in the world in this field and this funding from the Australian Government will mean children and their families will have improved access to the latest clinical trials.”

Quotes attributable to Professor Matt Dun:

"As a field, we are deeply grateful to the Australian Government for taking this crucial first step in funding research and clinical trials aimed at improving outcomes for children with brain cancer.

“Brain cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in children, and for the most aggressive forms, like DIPG, we currently have no effective treatments.

“This investment represents hope for families who desperately need breakthroughs. We encourage the Government to continue prioritising resources for Australian paediatric brain cancer research and clinical trials.

“Australia is home to some of the world's most talented researchers, and with adequate support, we have the potential to change the future for these children and their families."

Quotes attributable to DIPG parents Angie and Tamer Daher, Hannah and Andrew Pringle, Beau and Terry Kemp:

"We are so relieved and thankful for Minister Butler’s ongoing support and also want to acknowledge and credit the Department of Health for their continued support and collaboration.  

"For the first time in history, the Department of Health has formally recognised DIPG *to this magnitude*, and this is a massive achievement in part to our continuous lobbying. It represents a crucial turning point in the fight against this devastating disease.  

"Our children—Eve, Ruby, Ryley, and Josie—continue to inspire us to advocate for change so that no parent has to endure the heartbreak of losing their child to DIPG like we always will.
 
"Today marks a significant step toward increasing survival rates for DIPG. Every child deserves a future, and now, thanks to this groundbreaking funding and the remarkable dedication of Australian researchers, they may finally have a chance.”

Quotes attributable to DIPG patient Eve Daher:

“I am so proud we have achieved this goal.

“I hope in the future no kid has to go through what I am going through. It’s so hard and I don’t want other kids to feel the way I do.” 

Eve is one of the longest surviving children in Australia thanks to research from Prof Matt Dun’s research at the University of Newcastle.

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