Collaboration aims to improve outcomes for children with neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma UK (NBUK) and Solving Kids’ Cancer UK (SKCUK) have entered into a formal collaboration to speed up the development of new, better treatments for children with neuroblastoma and bring forward the day when no child dies from or because of the disease.

Two of the largest dedicated funders of neuroblastoma research in the UK, NBUK and SKCUK have collaborated in the past, including coming together to fund the HR-NBL2 clinical trial, making it available to children in the UK with neuroblastoma. This new collaboration sets out a clear, integrated plan for how they will more closely and regularly work together to improve outcomes for children with the condition.

This includes identifying where in the research pipeline – from bench to bedside – they can share and use their respective expertise to help speed up the development and testing of new, better treatments for neuroblastoma.

The charities will also take a coordinated approach to ensuring children with neuroblastoma in the UK have access to clinical trials and will use their collective voice to address challenges in the external climate that are slowing down progress against this disease.

Gail Jackson from SKCUK said: “Each charity remains committed to their own individual aims, but by collaborating on shared objectives and projects, we aim to bring our strengths together and increase the impact of our respective work. In doing so, we aim to bring forward the day when everyone survives neuroblastoma, and no one suffers as a result of treatment.”

Professor Andy Pearson from NBUK said: “We’re incredibly excited to be building on existing collaborations with SKCUK. By working together, we will ultimately deliver more viable clinical trials and develop new treatments that improve outcomes for children with the disease and their families.”

Between them, NBUK and SKCUK work across the entire neuroblastoma research lifecycle. NBUK has over 40 years of experience working on pre-clinical, laboratory research and drug development which aims to find more effective treatments, with reduced short- and long-term side effects for children with neuroblastoma. SKCUK focusses on funding clinical research that allows potential new treatments for children with neuroblastoma to be assessed through clinical trials, as well as providing support to children and families with the disease.