ALLG hosts German counterpart in Melbourne
The ALLG hosted a roundtable discussion yesterday in Melbourne, led by Professor Peter Borchmann of the University of Cologne and co-chairman of the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG). The GHSG is the premier European research agency focused on Hodgkin lymphoma, or Hodgkin disease (HD), research.
The ALLG and GHSG have developed a successful collaboration, with the ALLG undertaking the GSHG’s international HD21 trial to Australia (ALLG HD10). The major study aims to identify first-line treatments that prevent toxic side effects but maintain the effect in eliminating the cancer cells.
A world leader in Hodgkin disease, Professor Borchmann (pictured, right), was joined in the discussions by Professor Mark Hertzberg (ALLG lead expert; pictured left), and ALLG HD10 trial leaders, Amanda Jager and Sophie Yorkston (pictured middle, left and right, respectively).
Key points of conversation included progress updates on the trial, how the ALLG and the GSHG can optimise their respective organisations to accelerate research and how we can collaborate internationally to make deliver even more impactful blood cancer research. In terms of trial recruitment, Australia ranks as the fourth fastest recruiting sites (following Germany, Austria and Switzerland) out of 445 sites globally for the GSHG HD21 trial, so much so that the Australian arm has been expanded from 90 to 110 participants. A total of 1,500 participants are expected to be enrolled by the recruitment close in 2020.
The Leukaemia Foundation of Australia, through the Trials Enabling Program, has provided some funding to the ALLG, assisting the opening of 16 trial sites across Australia. This study is helping Australian HD patients access the latest treatments.
To learn more about the ALLG HD10 trial and the Australian sites that are currently recruiting, please visit https://www.allg.org.au/clinical-trials-research/current-clinical-trials/.