Cure Brain Cancer’s Research Vision

PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST

2 Foreword

4 Achievements

6 The current landscape: catalysts

7 Mission

8 Our strategy

•Approach

•Collaborationandborderlessresearch

•Therighttreatmentfortherightpatient

•Everypatientonatrial

•Ourresearchprograms

•Empoweringpatients

17 Grants

18 Scientific Advisory Committee

19 Conclusion: hope for the future

Contents

• Accelerated access toeffectivetreatments.

• Empowering patients: patientsareatthecentre ofeverythingwedo.

• International collaboration: braincancerresearchneeds tobeborderless.

• Weultimatelyaimtocreateasystemofresearchthatisinherentlysustainable.

What makes us different

• Wearechallengingthenorm.

• Wearenotpreparedtoacceptthestatusquo.

• Ourquestionisnot‘why?’ but‘whynot?’

• Weencouragelateralthinkingandcollaboration.

• Wearetakingmorerisksandexpectinggreaterrewards.

• Ourcompassionisfierce.

VISION VALUES

1PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST

FOREWORD

I don’t think there has ever been a more exciting time to be working in brain cancer research. We have reached a tipping point and are on the brink of some revolutionary changes. The world is uniting to overcome the complex and systemic barriers holding back advances. Cure Brain Cancer is a key player in this global movement and we have developed a disruptive approach that will give patients early access to promising treatments, and have built a robust research model that is attractive and compelling to fund.

Thelast30yearshaveseensomeenormousscientificandtechnological

advances;3Dprinting,nanotechnology,cloning,thediscoveryoftheHiggs

Bosonorso-called“God”particle,decodingthehumangenome,exploring

Mars.Andyet,treatingbraincancereffectivelyremainsachallengeand

survivalrateshavehardlychangedinthesedecadesofgreatadvancement.

AsPresidentObamasaidwhenlaunchingtheBRAINmappinginitiativeinthe

US,“ashumans,wecanidentifygalaxieslightyearsaway…wecanstudy

particlessmallerthananatom.Butwestillhaven’tunlockedthemystery

ofthethreepoundsofmatterthatsitsbetweenourears.”

Braincancerisaninsidiousdisease.Currenttreatmentsareundisputedly

ineffectiveformostpeople.Inanageofever-advancingunderstandingabout

cancerandgenetics,braincancercontinuestokillmorechildreninAustralia

thananyotherdisease.Wefeelthatthisisunacceptable.

Thegoodnewsisthatalotofthegroundworktochangethishasalready

beendone;infact,therehasbeenanexplosionofunderstandinginbrain

cancerinrecentyears.Weareheartenedbythefactthattherehavebeen

significantadvancesinbasicscienceandtheresultsofthisarenowbeing

translatedfromthelabtotheclinic.Anewgenerationofbraincancer

treatmentsarebeinginvestigatedandtestedwhichhavegreatpotential

toimproveoutcomesforpeoplelivingwithbraincancer.Butthereisno

“magicbullet”andthereisstillworktodo.

We recognise that to solve a complex problem like brain cancer we need to do things differently; to think laterally and find smarter solutions that allow us to make breakthroughs much faster than traditional research methods allow. We aim to disrupt traditional and siloed practices, challenge the system and innovate to make this happen.

WhenIfirststartedatCureBrainCancerFoundationthecommunitywas

relativelydisparatewithseeminglynocriticalmass.Overthelastfewyears

Ihaveseenthiscompletelyshifttoaunified,focusedmovementthatis

gatheringmomentumacrossmanysectors.

We believe that the best medicine is personalised medicine; the right treatment for the right patient.

Bytakingapan-cancerapproachtotreatments,wecanrepurposedrugs

whichareeffectiveinothercancerstouseonbraincancer,morequickly

identifynoveltargetsandusebigdatatoconnectmoleculartargetswith

existingclinicalknowledge.

Weknowthatpatientsreportbetterhealthoutcomeswhentheyparticipate

inclinicaltrials.WeareworkingtobringqualityclinicaltrialstoAustralia

sothatpatientscanaccessnewtreatmentsatthesametimeastheyare

availableglobally.Thisisakeypartofourmissiontoincreasesurvival,

butitwillalsoadvancemedicalresearchbybuildingAustralia’smedical

researchinfrastructure.

Thetimehasalreadycomeandgonetoputasidedifferences,share

informationandcollaborateratherthancompete.Iamhappytosaythatthis

isnowhappeninginbraincancerresearch.Forward-thinkingcollaborations

suchastheBrainCancerDiscoveryCollaborativehereinAustralia,aswellas

internationalpartnershipsbetweenresearchorganisationsandcharitiesare

speedingupprogress.Weneedtoworktogethertoensurethiscontinues,

buildingonoursuccessesaswellaslearningfromourmistakes.

We need to put patients at the centre of everything we do, empower them to advocate and influence the conversation about brain cancer.Ihavealreadymetsomanycourageouspeople

whospeakout,donate,fundraise,volunteerandsharetheirstoriestoraise

awarenessandfunds,andsomeofthemknowtheywillnotbenefit;

itwillcometoolateforthem.Theyaredoingitforfuturegenerations,

togivethemabetterchance.

Thesepeopledeservetreatmentoptionsandbetteroddsofsurvivingbeyond

fiveyearsthanjust20%.Theydeservetobeheardandnotmarginalised,just

becausetheyhavebeendiagnosedwithalowerincidencecancer.

Michelle Stewart, Head of Research, Cure Brain Cancer

32

Thereisnotimeforcomplacency,pessimismorprocrastination. It’stimetoputpatientsfirst.“

PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST

ACHIEVEMENTS

In 2014-15 Cure Brain Cancer invested more than $2.65 million in research and committed an additional $8.91 million. The projects we fund include collaborations in more than 40 institutions, across six Australian states and five countries.

Through our inaugural 2014 grant round alone we committed $2.2 million for nine research projects, including two clinical trials. These projects include collaborations across 24 institutions, three states and four countries.

Our commitment to accelerating treatments to patients has seen us invest in five clinical trials in 2014/15 worth $4.1 million. These include international collaborations and Australian-grown interventions.

Innovative trial design

CureBrainCancerisplayinganintegralroleintheinternationalcollaborative

thatislaunchingarevolutionarynewtrialplatform.Successofthistrial

couldchangethefaceofbraincancertrialdesigninternationallyandcould

significantlyimproveoutcomesforpeoplelivingwithbraincancer.

Zero Childhood Cancer: personalising treatments for children with cancer

TheZeroChildhoodCancerprogramisthefirstofitskindinAustralia

andwillgivehopetochildrenwiththeworstprognosis,thosewith

high-riskcancer,includingthosewithbraincancer.Thepersonalised

approachofthetrialaimstofindtherighttreatmentforeachchildto

increaseeffectivenessoftreatmentandreduceside-effects.

Immunotherapy Trial

ThistrialisaninternationalcollaborativebetweentheClinicalResearch

InstituteandLudwigCancerResearchCentre,partiallyfundedby

CureBrainCancer,whichisthefirsttrialtoinvestigateanimmunotherapy

checkpointinhibitorforthetreatmentofbraincancer.

KB004

ThedrugKB004isanAustralianinnovationthatCureBrainCancerhas

helpedfundfromthelabtotheclinic.

VERTU

VERTUisanAustralianinitiativetriallinganoveltargetedtherapyfor

peoplewhosebraincancerisMGMTunmethylated.

54 PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST

CureBrainCancersharesourvisionforthe BCDC;tohaveahighlyco-operativeAustralianbraincancerresearchcommunitygeneratingworld-classresultsanddrivingdiscovery intotheclinic.

- ProfTerranceJohns,Director,BrainCancerDiscoveryCollaborative

“

In2015wereconfirmedourcommitmenttoourlong-termrelationshipwith

Associate Professor Kerrie McDonald and the Cure Brain Cancer Neuro-oncology Group at University of NSWtoprovideanadditionalfiveyears

ofpledgedfunding.TheChairpositionhasbeenrenamedastheChairof

BiomarkerandTranslationalResearchtoreflectthespecialityofthelab.

CureBrainCancercommittedtofundtheCure Brain Cancer John Trivett FellowshipinbraincancerinQueensland.Thepositionwillbeheldat

TheUniversityofQueenslandplacedwithintheInstituteforMolecular

BiosciencesorQueenslandBrainInstituteby2016.

In2014wecommittedanadditional$2.8millionovertwoyearstothe

Brain Cancer Discovery Collaborative,bringingourtotalcommitment

to$3.8millionoverthreeyears.

Precision Medicine

TheCancerGenomeAtlas(TCGA)wasaninitiativeaimedatgenerating

moleculardataonalargescaleaboutanumberoftumours.

ThefirstprojectundertakenbytheTGCAfocusedonbraincancer

andhasprovidedgenomicdataonthesetumoursthathasledtoa

significantlyincreasedunderstandingofthemutationsinthisdisease.

Therehavebeenanumberofrecentadvancesthathaveprovideda

greaterunderstandingofdifferentgenomicsubtypesofbraincancer,

suchaspaediatricbraincancer(medulloblastoma,PNETs),sotreatment

canbetailoredmorespecificallytotherightpatients.

Increased access to certain tumour types (including DIPG) through surgical advances and post-mortem access to tissue will provide significant opportunities to further study these tumours.

Thereisnowagreaterunderstandingofgenomicandproteinmarkers

thatapplyacrosscancertypes.Thedayiscomingwherewewillno

longerdefinecancerbythepartofthebodywhereitdevelops,but

byitsgenomicprofile.Wemaybetakingapan-cancerapproachto

treatment.Forexample,certainmutationsinbreastcancerormelanoma

maybepresentinbraincancer,meaningthatthebraincancermay

respondtoeffectivetreatmentsinothercancers.Developmentofdrugs

forthistypeofmutation-driventreatmentwillincrease.

Therehasbeenasignificantreductioninthecostofgenomeandexome

sequencing.Thismeansthatitispossibletogetincreasedaccessto

theseservicesinadiagnosticcapacityandalsoforthelargescale

collectionofthisinformation.

Innovativeclinicaltrialdesignallowsformoreeffectivedevelopment

oftreatments.ThisincludesMasterProtocols,anongoingplatform

endorsedbytheFDA,designedsothatmorepatientscanjoinclinical

trialsandtreatmentcanbeadaptedfasterbasedonpatients’response.

Clinicalresearchcanbedonefasterandmorecheaply,whichwill

encouragemoreactivityfrombiopharmaceuticals.

THECURRENTLANDSCAPE:CATALYSTS

CureBrainCancerisanextraordinarypartnerinthecollaborativeeffortinbraincancerresearch.IamconvincedthattheireffortswillultimatelybenefitpatientsinAustraliaandaroundtheworld.

– ProfessorWebsterK.Cavenee,Ph.D,Director, LudwigInstituteforCancerResearch,SanDiego DistinguishedProfessor,UniversityofCaliforniaatSanDiego

“76 PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST

Cancer Immunotherapy

Therehavebeensignificantsurvivalimprovements

inothercancersusingimmunotherapies,suchas

checkpointblockade,antibody-drugconjugates,

CAR-Tanddendriticcells.Therearealsonovel

therapiesthatareshowingearlystagepromise.

Brainmetastasesfromothertypesofcancerhave

shownearlyresponsetoimmunotherapies,further

indicatingthattheremaybeaplaceforthese

treatmentsinprimarybraincancer.

Whileimmunotherapyisshowingpromise,the

costofproductionneedstobeconsideredso

that,ultimately,itcanbeaffordableandtherefore

accessibleforallpatients.

Not-for-profit groups

Manynot-for-profitgroupsaroundtheworldare

startingtoseethebenefitsofworkingtogetheronkey

projectsthatwilldelivergreaterimpactforpatients

thaniftheyworkedalone.Thisiscreatingsignificant

valuebyvirtueofscaleandpooledexpertise.

Here’s the problem:

• BraincancerkillsmorechildrenthananyotherdiseaseinAustralia.

• Itkillsmorepeopleunder40thananyothercancer.

• Only2in10peoplewillsurviveforfiveyearsandthathasbeen

thecaseforthelast30years.

• Wedon’tknowwhatcausesitandcurrenttreatmentisineffective.

• Onlyahugeincreaseinresearchfundingwillgiveustheanswers

toimprovesurvival.

CUREBRAINCANCER’SMISSION

Thereisnow,forthefirsttime,realhope ofextendingthelivesofpatientswith newtherapeuticapproaches;thisis wonderfulnewsforpatients.

– ProfessorInderM.Verma,Ph.D, Professor,LaboratoryofGenetics, TheSalkInstituteforBiologicalStudies

“

Our ten-year mission began in 2013: to improve five-year survival to 50% by 2023.

Our research strategy is the foundation upon which we will achieve our mission.

CureBrainCancer’sresearchstrategyisdesignedtogetnewtreatments

topatientsfasterbyfundingacrosstheentireresearchpathwayto

addresstargetedquestions,increaseaccesstotreatmentsforpatients

andremoveblockages.

Weknowthatexistingtreatmentssuchaschemotherapyandradiotherapy

donotworkformostpeopleandsurvivalratesforbraincancerhaven’t

improvedfor30years.Developingandtestingnovelandinnovative

treatmentsistheonlywaytochangethisandgivehopeofabetter

prognosistopeoplelivingwithbraincancer.

Weareworkingtocreateaccesstoclinicaltrialsforbothadultsandchildren

inAustralia,toimprovesurvivalratesbutalsotoreducetheharmofcurrent

treatmentoptions,thusimprovingqualityoflife.Ouraimisthatevery

persondiagnosedwithbraincancerinAustraliawillhaveaccesstonew

treatmentsthroughqualityclinicaltrials.

Wealsofundearlystageresearch,asthisisthefoundationuponwhich

therapeuticdiscoverycanoccur.

Year 12013

Year 22014

Year 32015

Values

From hero to host: 3 year transition strategy

Establishment ofScientific Advisory

Committee.

Culture

Strategic Priorities

OperationalExcellence

Audit of brain cancerresearch and funding

systems.

New strategic direction,research strategy and

national operationsroll-out.

Engagement withstakeholders, influencersand Government aligned

to new strategy.

Communitymobilisation.

Mergers andcollaborations.

Momentum, awareness& fundraising increases.

Clinical trial results drivescience. More Australian

patients on trials. Raise $10m per annum.

Advocacy yieldsGovernment support.

Strategic fundraisingand engagement

programs.

New research investment.2 x clinical trials.

9 research projects funded.

Name change andnational re-brand.

Brain Cancer DiscoveryCollaborative in place.

OURSTRATEGY

What are we working to achieve?

• Ourmissionistoincreasefiveyearsurvival

fromthecurrent20%to50%by2023.

Toachievethis,wearefundingworld-class

researchtoacceleratenewtreatments

topatients.

Why are we doing this?

• Existingtreatmentsdonotworkformost

patientsandbraincancersurvivalrates

haven’timprovedfor30years.

• Wehaveseenhowresearchfundinghas

dramaticallyimprovedsurvivalratesin

othercancersinthistime,suchasbreast

andprostatecancer.Wewanttoemulate

theirsuccess.

• Braincancerkillsmorechildrenthanany

otherdiseaseandmorepeopleunder40

thananyothercancer.

Who are we doing this for?

• Patientsareatthecentreofeverything

wedoandourresearchactivityisdesigned

toacceleratetreatmentsforpeopleliving

withbraincancernow,andinthefuture,as

quicklyandefficientlyaspossible.

Where do we work?

• InAustraliaandforallpatientsworldwide,

incollaborationwithournationaland

internationalpartners.

How do we work?

• Weareaddingvaluetotheresearchsystemtosupportinnovative

discoveriesandincentivisedrugdevelopmentanddiscoveryinbraincancer.

• Weencouragecollaborativesciencesothatmulti-disciplinaryteamscan

approachproblemsinanewway.Webelievethattheanswersmaybefound

whereexpertisecollidesinunexpectedareas.

• Weaimtoattractthebrightestmindstosolvetheproblemofbraincancer,

toapplytheadvancesthathavebeenmadeinotherareasofmedical

researchtobraincancerresearch.

• Webreakdownbarriers,whethertheyarelocal,internationalorinstitutional

toreduceunnecessaryrepetitionandbenefitfromtheeconomyofscale.

• Wetackleresearchproblemsfromtheperspectiveofpatientstocreatea

patientmovementthatwillshiftthedialthroughadvocacyandfundraising.

• Wearesupportingclinicaltrialstoopenupaccesstonewandexperimental

treatmentstomorepatients.Thisincludessupportforinnovativetrial

designandpersonalisedmedicine,toidentifytherightdrugfortheright

patient,getnewtreatmentstomorepatientsandtodothismuchfaster

thanthetraditionalresearchpathwayallows.

• Wearesupportingbasicandtranslationalresearchtoacceleratediscoveries

fromthelabintotheclinicandtounderstandmoreaboutbraincancerand

howtotreatiteffectively.

Approach

98 PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST

Bycollaboratingbothnationallyandinternationallywecandeliverresults

faster.Weprizecollectivebrainpowerandsupporttheimplementationof

aglobal,multi-disciplinaryresearchcommunity.

Weencouragecollaborationbetweenbraincancerresearchgroupsand

acrossspecialities,includingoncology,nanotechnology,genomics,and

bioinformatics.Workingwithourpartners,wearesettingaglobalresearch

agendatoenablethesharingofresources,reduceunnecessaryduplication,

anddeliverincreasedresearchefficiency.

WehelpfundtheBrainCancerDiscoveryCollaborative,anetworkof

Australianresearchersworkingtogethertoraiseawareness,‘targetthegaps’,

shareknowledge,capacityandresources.

Braincancerisalesscommoncancerandhasmanysub-types,so

internationalcollaborationisvitaltoachievestatisticallysignificantresearch

findingswithinreasonabletimeframes.Globalcollaborationallowsgreater

numbersofpatientstoaccesstrialstoproducestatisticallysignificant

resultsfaster.

Australiaispunchingaboveitsweightwhenitcomestobraincancerresearch

andhasmuchtooffertheglobalresearchcommunity.

Collaborationandborderlessresearch

Collaborationandborderlessresearch

Webelievethatbraincancerresearch needstobeborderless.

– MichelleStewart,HeadofResearchStrategy“ CureBrainCancerhavebeenabsolutelyamazing withthewaythattheyhavebroughttogetherinternationalandnationalcollaborations; we’veneverseenthisbefore.

- A/ProfKerrieMcDonald,CureBrainCancerNeuro-oncologyGroup, LowyCancerResearchCentre,UNSW

“1110 PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST

Ratherthantakinga‘onesizefitsall’approachtotreatmentwecan

now personalise treatments to patients’ individual tumour profiles, deliveringafarmoreeffectivetherapeuticapproach.Thiscouldbea

targettherapyoranimmune-basedtherapy,oracombinationofboth.

Biomarkersaremoleculesthatcanbetestedforinaperson’stissuesor

bodyfluidsandanswerimportantquestionsabouttheircancer.Inthe

future,theycouldevenhelpdoctorsdiagnosebraincancerandworkout

whatthebesttreatmentforeachpersonis.Wesupportresearchthat

developsexistingbiomarkerknowledgeandidentifiesadditionalmarkers

inbraincancer,tosupportthedevelopmentofpersonalisedtherapies.

Clinical trials are the best way for patients to access novel treatments, until effective therapies become part of routine care.

CureBrainCancer’svisionisthateverypersondiagnosedwithbraincancer

inAustraliacanaccessnewtreatmentsthroughworld-classclinicaltrials.

Byworkingwithourinternationalpartnerstobringthesetrialshere,weare

enablingaccesstonoveltreatmentsforpatientsinAustraliaatthesame

timeastheyareavailableglobally.

Wearesupportinginnovativetrialdesignthattakesapersonalisedmedicine

approachandenablesresearcherstoidentifytherightdrugfortheright

patientandmakedecisionsfasteraboutwhattreatmentswork.

Thetraditionalresearchpathwayinvolveschangingonevariableatatime

andtestsonetreatmentonmultipleparticipants.Thistakestime,henceit

cantakeupto12yearstogetanexperimentaldrugtomarket.

Inthesenewer,innovativetrialsparticipantsarerandomlyassigned

experimentaltreatmentsbasedontheirgeneticprofiles,butratherthan

thosevariablesremainingthesamefortheentirelifetimeofthetrial

irrespectiveofefficacy,patientsarereassigneddifferenttreatmentsbased

onwhatisworkingforthem.Thiscompressestheresearchtimelineand

deliversresultsfaster,aswellasenablingthedevelopmentofpersonalised

therapies,tailoredtoindividuals.

Furthermore,therearetreatmentsalreadybeingusedonotherdiseases

thatmaybesuitableforbraincancer.Subsidisinginnovativetrialslikethis

willencouragepharmaceuticalcompaniestoseeiftheycanrepurposethese

treatmentsforuseonbraincancer,savingyearsofdevelopmenttime.

Accessto clinicaltrials

Therighttreatmentfortherightpatient

Thingshaveacceleratedalotinthelastcoupleofyears. Ithinkwehaveamuchbetterunderstandingofthehumangenomenowandwenowforthefirsttimeinhistoryhavetechnologythatcanactuallyscreenthewholegenomeandcandothiskindofproject.Sowecanscreenhundredsorthousandsofgenesinjustafewhoursforabout$1000.Whereasjustfiveyearsagothatwasalmostimpossible.Soitreallyistechnologydriven, alotoftheresearch.

-DrAndrewMorokoff,RoyalMelbourneHospital,VIC

“

1312 PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST

Discovery funds

Earlystageresearchdevelopsourfundamentalunderstandingofdisease.

Wedonotyetunderstandthediffusenatureofbraincancer,howitis

caused,whyitrecurs,howtotreatitandweareonlyjuststartingto

understandthemarkersofprognosisandresponsetotherapy.

Earlystageresearchisessentialtomovingthefieldofbraincancerforward.

Thisprogramfundsresearchthatwillincreaseourunderstandingofcertain

typesofbraincancer.

Biomarker discovery program

Biomarkersareincreasinglydemonstratingvalueincancer

detection,diagnosis,prognosis,selectionoftherapyandprediction

oftreatmentresponse.

TheCureBrainCancerBiomarkerDiscoveryProgrambringstogether

biomarkerresearchthatisbeingconductedacrossthecountry.

1514 PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST

Clinical trials stimulus program

CureBrainCancer’svisionisthateverypersondiagnosedwithbraincancer

inAustraliacanaccessnewtreatmentsthroughworld-classclinicaltrials.

Weprioritiseinnovativetrialdesignwhichimprovestheprobabilityof

thesuccessofthetrialandlookforoptionsthathavethepotentialfor

increasingsurvival.

WesupportinnovativeAustralianideasthathavethepotentialtohelp

patientsgloballyaswellasworkingwithinternationalpartnerstobring

clinicaltrialstoAustraliasothatAustralianshavelocaloptions.

Immunotherapy in action

Immunotherapyharnessesthebody’sownimmunesystemtofightcancer.

Itisagrowingfieldincancerresearch,includingbraincancer,andhasshown

somepromisingresultsinothercancerssuchasmelanoma.

Paediatric research

BraincancerkillsmorechildrenthananyotherdiseaseinAustraliaso

weareworkingtodevelopnewtreatmentsforchildrenwiththedisease,

whichextendsurvivalbutalsominimisetheharmdonebycurrent

treatmentstoimprovequalityoflife.

Paediatricresearchincludesworkontumourtypesspecifictochildrenand

researchthatisapplicabletopaediatricformsofbraincancermorebroadly.

Brilliant Minds

BrilliantMindsisCureBrainCancer’syoungresearchersupportprogram,

encompassingacommunicationsprogramaswellasanearly-stagecareer

fellowshipprogram.

Itisdesignedtoencouragethebrightestmindsfromacrossdifferent

disciplinesintobraincancerresearchandgrowandsupportthenext

generationofbraincancerresearchers.

ThebiggestchangethatIhaveseeninmyprofessionalcareerhasbeentheincorporationofresearch,andparticularlyclinicaltrials,intothefrontlinetreatmentofchildren.

- ProfStewartJKellie,Paediatriconcologistandneurooncologist, TheChildren’sHospitalatWestmead

“

Ourresearchprograms

Ourstrategyispatient-centricandweworktoempowerpatientssothat

theycanleadfromthefrontincallingforactionandfundingforbraincancer.

WehaveseenfromtheHIVmovementofthepastandstrongadvocacyin

breastcancerhowcriticalandeffectivethepatientvoiceiswhenitcomes

tochangingoutcomes.

The brain cancer community is engaged, passionate and united when it comes to effecting change.

• Increasedlobbyingandadvocacyofpatientgroupsisleadingto

increasedfocus.

• Patientshaveanincreasedappetiteforrisk-takingandtheyare

morevocalincallingforalternatives.

• Enabled,educatedpatientgroups,supportedbynot-for-profits,

arecallingforaccesstoclinicaltrialsandnewtreatments.

• Theinternetasasourceofinformationhasledtoincreasinglyeducated

patients,withcliniciansreportingthatpatientsareaskingforthelatest

treatmentsavailableinternationally.Theinternetcanofcoursebea

hindrance,withlotsofincorrectormisleadinginformation,soweneedto

helppatientsarmthemselveswithknowledgebyactingasaconduitto

reliablesourcesofinformationonbraincancer.

Wefundpriority-drivenresearchthroughacombinationofcompetitive

researchgrantsandbyproactivelyidentifyingpromisingresearchandcritical

knowledgegapsthatdonotfitintotraditionalfundingmechanisms.

Wewillsupportresearchersfromsuccessfulapplicationtoimplementation,

andenabletranslationofbasicscientificfindingsintotherapeutic

interventionsforpatients.

Through the Cure Brain Cancer application process we aim to provide funding for the projects with the greatest potential impact for patients.

Grantapplicationsareassessedbyourinternationally-renownedScientific

AdvisoryCommittee,whichdecidesonresearchprojectsthatwilldeliver

thatgreatestimpacttopeoplewithbraincancer.TheCommitteecan

makedecisionsaboutresearchinaninternationalcontextandprovidea

transparent,impartialplatformfordecision-makingwhichensuresgood

governanceandsafeguardsbestpracticeinresearchfunding.

1716 PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST

Empoweringpatients

In2013mysonGuspassedawayattheageof15afterfightinghisinsidiousbraintumourforthreeandahalfyears.SupportingCureBrainCancermadeusfeellikewehadapurposewhilstwebattledhisillness.CureBrainCanceristheenergysourcestrivingtomakeacurepossible.Ican’twaitforthedaytheirvisionisareality.BysupportingthemIfeellikeIampartofthatrealityforotherfamilies.Icannotwaitforthedaywhenbraincancercanbebeateninsteadofitbeatingus.

- MaryanneLarkin,supporter

“

GRANTS

We have appointed a world-class Scientific Advisory Committee to advise on research funding and policy decisions. Our Committee will:

• Evaluateresearchprojectstofundthatwilldeliverthatgreatestimpact

topatientswithbraincancer.

• Makedecisionsaboutresearchinaninternationalcontext,andevaluate

proposalswithglobalvisibility.

• Ensuregoodgovernance.

• Safeguardbestpracticeinresearchfunding.

• ProtecttheintegrityoftheFoundationandprovideatransparent

platformfordecision-making.

Our Committee members are selected on the basis of academic or medical excellence, history of breakthroughs and their commitment to accelerating treatments to people with brain cancer.

The strength of our Committee demonstrates our commitment to responsible spending and the priority that we place on funding the best research with the best chance of success.

CureBrainCancerhasgrownfromaconversationaroundthekitchentable

ofourfounder,CharlieTeo,tobecomethelargestdedicatedfunderofbrain

cancerresearchinAustralia.

Partneringwiththeresearchcommunity,wearesteeringthenationalagenda

–andinfluencingtheglobalagenda–forbraincancerresearch.

Wecouldnotdothiswithoutthesupportofourpartnersandoursupporters,

whoworktirelesslytofundraise,volunteer,arrangeevents,advocateand

takepartinresearch.

Weareproudtobepartofsuchaninspirationalcommunity.

Thankyouforyoursupport.

For more information please contact research@curebraincancer.org.au

1918 PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST

SCIENTIFICADVISORYCOMMITTEE CONCLUSION:HOPEFORTHEFUTURE

Professor Webster K. Cavenee, PhD

Director,LudwigInstitutefor

CancerResearch,SanDiego

&DistinguishedProfessor,

UniversityofCaliforniaatSanDiego

Professor Jan Buckner, MD

ProfessorofOncology,

MayoClinicCollegeofMedicine

Chair,DepartmentofOncology,

MayoClinic,Rochester,MN

DeputyDirectorforPractice,

MayoClinicCancerCenter

Professor Mark Rosenthal, MBBS, FRACP, PhD

DirectorofMedicalOncology

atRoyalMelbourneHospital

Dr Helen Wheeler MedicalOncologist,

RoyalNorthShoreHospital

Professor Inder M. Verma

SalkInstituteforBiologicalSciences;

Professor,LaboratoryofGeneticsand

AmericanCancerSocietyProfessor

ofMolecularBiology

Dr Mustafa Khasraw

Medicaloncologistat

RoyalNorthShoreHospitalinSydney

We’veevolvedintoaglobalmovement,alignedtoasingularpurpose,acceleratingtreatmentstopatients.Together,wewillsucceed.

- CatherineStace,CEO,CureBrainCancerFoundation

“

ADDENDUM–Research projectswearefunding

20

MemberoftheBrainCancerDiscoveryCollaborative(BCDC).Molecularimaging.Developingnovel,EphA2targetedPETmolecularimagingtechnologyforglioma.

ForfurtherresearchattheInstituteforMolecularBioscience.PartoftheTrivettPartnershipAgreement.CirculatingmicroRNAasabiomarkerinbraincancer.

Understandinghowepigeneticabnormalitiesleadtobraincancers.ExceptionalresponsetoAvastin.

QueenslandBrainTumourBank. Co-fundedbyTourdeCure.

VisitingAcademicProgramattheLowyCancerResearchCentrewithintheNeuroOncologyGroup.Deputy-directoroftheBrainCancerDiscoveryCollaborative(BCDC).CureBrainCancer Neuro-oncologyGroup.MemberoftheBrainCancerDiscoveryCollaborative(BCDC).PaediatricOncology,fromBenchtoBed.KB004-APhase1andbiodistributionstudyofKB004(ananti-EphA3antibody)inpatientswithglioblastoma.Overcomingresistancetoantibody-drugconjugates inglioblastomapatients.VERTU-Veliparib,radiotherapyandtemozolomideinnewlydiagnosedunmethylatedMGMTglioblastoma.CureBrainCancerHeadofBiomarkerandTranslationalResearchatLowyCancerResearchCentre,UNSWandTeam.PaediatricPersonalisedMedicineProgram.

Fortheplanningandsetupofinnovative trialdesign.TranslationalResearchOfficer.

Phase2StudyofCheckpointBlockadeinPatientsWithGlioblastoma.ConductedatOliviaNewton-JohnCancerResearchInstitute.Deputy-directoroftheBrainCancerDiscoveryCollaborative(BCDC).DirectoroftheBrainCancerDiscoveryCollaborative(BCDC).FundingisinclusiveofdiscretionaryfundsforpromisingprojectswithintheBCDC.Understandingcellularpathways.MemberoftheBrainCancerDiscoveryCollaborative(BCDC).Investigatingtheprocessofcellinvasion.

Targetingtheepidermalgrowthfactorreceptorinhigh-gradeglioma.PharmacologicalinhibitionofMCL-1andBCL-xLtotreathumanmedulloblastoma.NoveltargetedchemotherapeuticagentsagainstDiffuseIntrinsicPontineGliomas(DIPG).YouCanFellowship(SonyFoundation)Newcuresforbraincancer,usingnoveltechnologyforALT-targeteddrugdiscovery.JohnTrivettSeniorResearchFellowshipin BrainCancer.EstablishmentofImmunotherapyCentreofExcellence. KynureninePathwayProject.Co-fundedwith TourDeCure.MicrogliatargetingofGlioblastomaMultiforme(GBM).Establishmentofanewglioma-imagingmodel.DevelopmentofImmunotherapyRoadMap. FundedbyDineForACure.

BiomarkerDiscoveryProgramBiomarkerDiscoveryProgram

BiomarkerDiscoveryProgramBiomarkerDiscoveryProgramBiomarkerDiscoveryProgramBiomarkerDiscoveryProgramBiomarkerDiscoveryProgram

BrilliantMinds

ClinicalTrial StimulusProgram

ClinicalTrial StimulusProgramClinicalTrial StimulusProgram

ClinicalTrial StimulusProgramClinicalTrial StimulusProgramClinicalTrial StimulusProgram

ClinicalTrial StimulusProgramClinicalTrial StimulusProgramClinicalTrial StimulusProgramClinicalTrial StimulusProgram

DiscoveryFunds

DiscoveryFunds

DiscoveryFunds

DiscoveryFunds

DiscoveryFunds

DiscoveryFunds

DiscoveryFunds

DiscoveryFunds Immunotherapy inActionImmunotherapy inActionImmunotherapy inActionImmunotherapy inAction

ProfStephenRoseDrSimonPuttick

ProfBrandonWainwrightDrAndrewMorokoffDrLeeWong

A/ProfKerrieMcDonaldDrSarahOlson

A/ProfKerrieMcDonaldA/ProfKerrieMcDonald

DrNickGottardoDrHuiGan

ProfAndrewScottDrMustafaKhasrawA/ProfKerrieMcDonald

ProfMichelleHaberDrAnnaBarker

A/ProfKerrieMcDonald

ProfAndrewBoydProfTerranceJohns

A/ProfGeraldineO’NeillProfTerranceJohnsProfAndreasStrasserDrMariaTsoli

DrJeremyHenson

Tobeawarded DrHelenWheelerDrSerayAdams

DrManuelGraeberImmunotherapyWorkingGroup

UniversityofQLD

TheUniversityofQueensland Institutefor MolecularBioscienceUniversityof MelbourneMonashUniversity

UniversityofNSW

TheWesley-StAndrew’sResearchInstituteUniversityofNSW

UniversityofNSW

TelethonKid’sResearchInstitute,UWALaTrobeUniversity

LaTrobeUniversity NHMRCClinicalTrialsCentreUniversityofNSW Children’sCancerInstituteAustraliaArizonaStateUniversityUniversityofNSW

CancerResearchInstitute QIMRBerghofer

HudsonInstituteofMedicalResearch

Kid’sResearchInstituteatWestmead

HudsonInstituteofMedicalResearchWalterandElizaHallInstituteChildren’sCancerInstituteAustraliaUniversityofNSW

TheUniversityofQueenslandRoyalNorthShoreHospitalMacquarieUniversity

UniversityofSydney

QLD

QLD QLD

VIC

VIC

NSW

QLD

NSW

NSW

WA

VIC

VIC

NSW

NSW NSW

AUS

NSW

VIC QLD

VIC

NSW

VIC

VIC

NSW

NSW

QLD NSW

NSW

NSW

AUS

3

2

3

2

2

2

3

4

3

3

3

2

3

10.5

4

2

3

2

3

3

3

2

2

1

1

5 2

1

1

1

$466,667 $199,738

$150,000

$199,724

$200,000

$126,500

$120,000

$480,000

$466,667

$516,667

$500,000

$199,233

$498,775

$4,059,917

$1,315,000

$1,200,000

$291,000

$539,000 $566,667

$1,366,667

$416,667

$200,000

$200,000

$180,000

$80,000

$1,250,000 $250,000

$125,000

$30,000

$30,000

BCDC

ProfStephenRose,ProfAndrewBoyd,DrBrettStringer,DrBryanDay ProfAndrewWhittaker,A/ProfStephenMahlerandDrKristoferThurecht TheUniversityofQueensland DrMichaelFay,GenesisCancerCareNewcastlena

A/ProfKateDrummond, DrRodneyLuworDrHsiaoVoon

DrKathrynField

MissEmmaRaymond

ProfPaulKleihaus,ProfPeterBerger

BCDC

BCDC

ProfAndrewScott,DrBryanDay, ProfAndrewBoyd,DrBrettStringer, DrZarnieLwin,DrPoInglisA/ProfHuiGan ProfJohnSimes,ProfMarkRosenthal, A/ProfKerrieMcDonald,DrEngSiewKoh

PukarThapa

A/ProfHuiGan BCDC

BCDC

BCDC

DrFrancineKe,A/ProfAnneVoss

DrDavidZiegler

ProfBrandonWainwright, ProfPerryBartlett

ProfGillesGuillemin

ProfRichardBanati

PROJECT DETAILSPROGRAM LEAD INVESTIGATOR

INSTITUTION STATE TOTAL YEARS OF FUNDING

TOTAL PROJECT COST

CO-INVESTIGATORS

*40% of our funded projects are applicable to paediatric brain cancer

SEPTEMBER 2015

curebraincancer.org.au

research@curebraincancer.org.au 1300362965+61295505244

CureBrainCancerFoundation POBox392SurryHillsNSW2010 ABN21121906036