KOALA National Coordinating Centre
"Finding answers to childhood cancer"
The Kids Oncology And Leukaemia triAls (KOALA) National Coordinating Centre are an integral part of the clinical research and trials stream at the Kids Cancer Centre based at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick. We function as a central clinical trials office for paediatric oncology trials with a particular emphasis on early phase clinical trials.
We work with leading specialist research sites across Australia and internationally with substantial experience in bench to bedside medicine, early phase oncology trials and precision medicine in paediatrics, adolescents and young adults.
KOALA supports all stages of the research process from study start up submissions and assessments to safety reporting and compliance.
Objectives
With our network and capabilities, we aim to provide a tailored solution to develop and co-ordinate investigator initiated/collaborative group or commercially sponsored trials.
Our infrastructure allows for the centralised management, co-ordination and monitoring of paediatric oncology clinical research in Australia and New Zealand.
Impact
- We are leading a world-first clinical trial testing a more effective and less toxic chemotherapeutic drug for children with ependymoma, a rare and devastating form of childhood brain cancer.
- We help lead innovative research for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a rare and fatal type of childhood brain cancer, trialling CAR-T cell therapy.
- We have tested the effectiveness of multiple different treatment options for children with high-risk cancers, like solid and Central Nervous System (CNS) tumours or lymphoma.
- We have participated in an international clinical trial testing the use of a novel therapy compared to standard chemotherapy for children with paediatric Low-Grade Glioma, an incurable form of brain cancer.