The New South Wales Government has provided new funding to support a statewide alliance designed to help cancer patients gain faster access to early stage clinical trials.
The network, known as the NSW Early Phase Clinical Trials Alliance, is coordinated by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research with support from the Cancer Institute NSW. It brings together doctors, researchers, clinical trial specialists and hospitals across the state to improve access to trials that test emerging cancer therapies.
The NSW Government allocated $450,000 to the Cancer Institute this year to support the program across the 2025 to 2027 financial years. That brings total government investment in the initiative to $975,000.
Officials say the funding has helped expand the number of trials available through the network. Around three years ago about 150 trials were accessible through the alliance. That figure has now risen to more than 180.
Early phase trials represent the first stage of testing new treatments in people following laboratory and pre clinical work. While they are primarily designed to evaluate safety and dosage, they can also provide treatment options for patients whose disease has not responded to existing therapies.
Since the alliance was established in 2017, more than 800 patients have taken part in early phase trials through the network. The number of cancer types included in those studies has also grown during that time.
The system aims to make it easier for doctors to identify suitable trials for patients. A streamlined referral pathway allows clinicians to screen patients through a blood test rather than relying on more invasive tumour DNA testing in the early stages.
Julian, a resident of Soldiers Point near Newcastle, joined one such trial after being diagnosed with stage four metastatic oesophageal cancer in 2019. His prognosis was initially poor.
After entering the program in 2022 he was able to take part in a trial treatment not otherwise available in Australia at the time. According to his doctors the treatment reduced his tumours enough for him to later undergo surgery.
Four years on, he says he has returned to an active routine that includes sport and travel.
The network also aims to broaden access to trials beyond metropolitan hospitals. Around one in four participants come from regional or rural parts of New South Wales.
David Harris said the program reflects cooperation between health and research organisations across the state.
“NECTA is a great example of our leading health agencies working together to improve outcomes for patients now and in the future,” he said.
He added that the initiative is intended to help ensure patients across New South Wales can access emerging cancer treatments regardless of where they live.
Professor Tracey O’Brien, Chief Cancer Officer of NSW and chief executive of the Cancer Institute NSW, said early phase trials play a key role in developing new treatments while offering options to patients who may have limited alternatives.
Professor Anthony Joshua from the Garvan Institute and St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney said clinical trial networks help address practical barriers that can prevent patients from taking part in studies.
“Early phase trials can offer another chance for patients who have few options left,” he said. “But these trials are complex, and access can depend on where a patient lives or whether their doctor is aware of suitable studies. NECTA helps remove those barriers.”
Julian said the trial he joined gave him access to treatment that would otherwise have taken years to reach Australia.
“My tumours shrank to less than a centimetre, so then I was a candidate for surgery,” he said. “These trials have let me live life to the full.”
Researchers involved in the alliance say the network is expected to continue expanding trial opportunities while helping translate laboratory discoveries into clinical treatments more quickly.
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