Due to an improved partnership between South West Healthcare (SWH) and CTA, cancer patients will have greater access to potentially life-saving therapies they may not have otherwise had access to.

SWH medical oncologist Ian Collins said now having CTA’s administrative support will streamline the processes, allowing doctors to concentrate on their jobs. He said CTA were experts in the field due to the sheer number of trials they have worked with. “It’s expanded the capability, as opposed to having specific trials that we’ve targeted.”

A new trial in small cell lung cancer will be the first to roll out in Warrnambool on Monday under the new model and is part of a larger international study.

Dr Collins said CTA gave SWH a larger profile when trial companies were looking for areas to conduct their studies. “One of the reasons for doing the regional trials network is to improve the visibility of the trials across Victoria and experience and contacts in that area to get more trials down here.”

CTA CEO Kurt Lackovic said this will reduce patients’ need to travel to access trials. “The goal is for Australian patients to benefit sooner from novel, life-saving therapies. This should be irrespective of where they choose to live.”

For more information, please visit here.