01 March 2016

Life-saving partnership: PCFA and ANZUP announce joint prostate cancer fight

  • Partnership will facilitate clinical trials
  • $1.5 million fundraising goal

1 March 2016: A powerful new partnership was announced today by two key players in the fight against prostate cancer. ANZUP Cancer Trials Group Limited (ANZUP), the leading collaborative trials group for urogenital and prostate cancer, and Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA), the peak national body for prostate cancer, will work together to fund and implement vital clinical trials in prostate cancer.

ANZUP and PCFA have signed a formal agreement to improve access to clinical trials and have pledged to work together to raise $1.5 million over the next three years to fund trials.

Margaret McJannett, CEO, ANZUP Cancer Trials Group says the formal partnership is an exciting next step for the two organisations. "We have worked closely with PCFA for many years and this formal partnership is the logical next step for clinical trials in prostate cancer" she said.

PCFA CEO, A/Prof Anthony Lowe commented "Learning how to make better use of existing treatments and knowledge is equally important to new basic science research.  That’s what clinical trials are all about".  "ANZUP is the leading collaborative trials group for prostate cancer in Australia and New Zealand so they are best placed to help us achieve this goal."

Ms McJannett added "Clinical trials are the gold standard for developing new cancer treatments and showing which treatments are the safest and most effective. Trials independent of drug companies are particularly valuable, as they focus only on patient benefit with no commercial stake."  "For Australia’s peak prostate cancer charity to team up with the leading independent provider of clinical trials in Australia and New Zealand opens up a range of opportunities in clinical research," she said.

Under the partnership PCFA will continue to be a Platinum Sponsor of the ANZUP Annual Scientific Meeting and PCFA’s annual Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Service conference will be held in conjunction with the ASM.