CRBF Sarcoma Awareness Campaign

The production of this awareness campaign has been a labour of love based on Cooper’s vision to ask the generous public figures and celebrities in his life, to join him in creating a national awareness programme for sarcoma.

The rationale behind this was simple.  He felt no-one would listen to a “pimply faced teenager with sarcoma”, but they may listen to this high profile collective, and in doing so lives could be saved.  Early diagnosis saves lives, and awareness of this cancer is paramount to improving survival outcomes.

Sadly Coop did not live to see what his friends have produced, however we know he would be humbled by the finished result, as the passion for cause is evident from all those involved.

We would like to extend heartfelt thanks to our celebrities in no particular order Peter Overton, Jessica Rowe, Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli, Mia Freedman, Peter FitzSimons, Callum Mills, Jimmy Barnes and Paul Roos, for helping us shine a light on sarcoma in our national awareness campaign.  

We extend a very warm thank you to our young sarcoma survivors, Imogen Atkins and Charlii Croese for the courage and bravery they have shown in participating in this campaign. We remain in awe of your resilience and determination.

Special thanks to Rudimental and songwriter John Newman, for allowing us to use’ Not Giving In’ as our soundtrack without fees, and to the amazing and ever dependable John Watson,  Founder, Eleven:  A Music Company, and manager to Jimmy Barnes, for facilitating the process.

Finally we thank our stellar and highly talented producers, James Tindale and Kristy Everett for their outstanding work, their patience and direction, together with the ever generous Michael Cordell for the loan of equipment, George Tyler for his creativity and guidance when filming our celebrities, and to Claire Bonic for her behind the scenes help throughout filming.

Sarcoma included in new Aus data …

Cancer Australia has released initial National Data on Australian paediatric cancer stages at diagnosis, including the rare and aggressive Sarcoma cancers.

This data covers sixteen major cancer types, which represent approximately three-quarters of all childhood cancers diagnosed in Australia. To see more please see ASSG’s press release or visit

https://childrenscancer.canceraustralia.gov.au/stage-diagnosis-data

Biosceptre’s Phase 1 Clinical Trial


On the 21st of February Biosceptre’s proposed Phase I clinical trial for BIL06v (anti-cancer vaccine) was granted conditional approval by the Bellberry Ethics committee. Biosceptre is now proceeding to take BIL06v into a Phase I trial in late Q2 or early Q3 2018.

Biosceptre has high confidence in the safety of BIL06v, in part as a result of pre-clinical studies and compassionate access patients treated in Australia under the TGA’s Special Access Scheme.

The planned clinical trial will recruit between 20 and 30 patients from a basket of late stage cancers and seeks to confirm safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of BIL06v.  The planned clinical trial will also seek to identify early indications of efficacy in humans.

CEO Gavin Currie said “Having recently closed entry to our Series A fund raising round, we are pleased that this fully funded clinical trial, building on significant preclinical data, has been conditionally approved.  We consider that a successful clinical trial, our first for a systemic therapeutic product targeting nfP2X7, will provide further validation of nfP2X7. We are hopeful for first patient recruitment in Q2 2018.”

 

Read more about the very promising developments regarding the BIL06v anti-cancer vaccine and nfP2X.

http://www.biosceptre.com/technology/

Garvan Institute – Sarcoma Research


Using whole-genome sequencing to research deeply into our DNA has led to the discovery that all disease is linked to genetic mutations so that instead of trying to treat disease symptoms, we can now target the mutations causing them. This is personalised medicine.  Read more about the outstanding work of the Garvan Institute, providing untold hope for sarcoma patients.

https://www.garvan.org.au/research/diseases/sarcoma/research

Therapeutic target for Ewing sarcoma


The sarcoma research group of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), led by Dr. Òscar Martínez-Tirado, has identified a potential new therapeutic target for Ewing sarcoma, the second most frequent bone cancer in children and adolescents, and a tumour known by its aggressiveness and tendency to metastasise.

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20180405/Researchers-discover-potential-new-therapeutic-target-for-Ewing-sarcoma.aspx