News

ALLG’s BM12 CAST trial, led by ALLG member Professor David Curtis (Alfred Hospital & Monash University) is set to change 40 years of standard practice globally for stem cell transplants in leukaemia.

The new treatment triples the chance for patients being alive, healthy and free of life-threatening complications such as Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) three years after transplant.

Led by Australian and New Zealand ALLG researchers, the success of the trial has immediate implications for clinical practice in the management of blood stem cell transplants. The simplicity and effectiveness of the new treatment, which uses an existing, affordable drug called cyclophosphamide in combination with cyclosporin, is set to become the new standard of care in GVHD prevention in matched sibling transplants.

The BM12 CAST trial was conducted across eight major hospital sites in Australia and New Zealand over five years.

The results from this “game-changing” study were presented at the European Hamatology Association (EHA) Conference held in Italy from June 12-15, 2025, published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine and received extensive news coverage.

BM12 As Featured on Channel 7 News

Effectiveness of Blood Stem Cell Transplants

Blood stem cell transplants are often lifesaving for leukaemia patients, but they come with a high risk of life-threatening complications, especially in the first 100 days after transplant. Common side effects include infections, organ damage, and the often-debilitating Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD), an irreversible lifelong complication.

Each year, approximately 600 blood stem cell transplants are performed across Australia and New Zealand. Of these, approximately 150 patients develop GVHD, and nearly 100 succumb to complications such as pneumonia or sepsis.

A Game-Changing Approach to Stem Cell Transplants

The BM12 CAST trial focused on patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) or acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) who received stem cell transplants from matched sibling donors. Traditionally, these patients would be treated with a triple-drug combination. In this trial, patients who received a modified, less toxic two-drug regimen experienced significantly lower rates of infection, rejection, and other complications.

“This new treatment triples the chances of a patient being alive, healthy, and free of GVHD three years after their stem cell transplant.”

Professor David Curtis

Chief Investigator BM12 CAST 

The drug combination of post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) and cyclosporin offers a new standard of care for prevention of GVHD for patients with aggressive blood cancers undergoing transplant from a matched related blood stem cell donor.

The success of the trial has marked a pivotal shift in the management of blood stem cell transplants. The results from BM12 CAST are game-changing, offering a new standard of care for prevention of GVHD for patients with aggressive blood cancers.

“Our results show a clear and clinically meaningful benefit for patients receiving PTCy and cyclosporin. This combination significantly prolonged GVHD-free, relapse-free survival and established a new benchmark for matched related donor transplantation.”

Professor David Curtis

Professor Judith Trotman 

ALLG Scientific Advisory Committee Chair

“The profound reduction in severe acute and chronic GVHD is impressive. It is heartening to note that post-transplant cyclophosphamide is safe, cheap and readily available now as a new standard in matched sibling transplants. I look forward to ALLG’s Transplant Working Party’s next pioneering phase 3 clinical trial.”

Delaine Smith, CEO, ALLG

“Our cooperative group is very proud to have delivered such an impactful clinical trial for patients that undergo bone marrow transplantation. Prof Curtis has led a highly motivated research team across Australia and New Zealand, and their efforts have catapulted this centuries biggest improvement in bone marrow transplantation. We are thrilled that patients around the world will now have Better Treatment… Better Lives.”

Impact of ALLG’s Clinical Trial Portfolio

Since 1973, ALLG’s research has played a critical role in transforming the treatment landscape for blood cancers. Through our investigator-initiated clinical trials, more than 14,000 patients have gained access to the most advanced therapies available globally. Our work has not only improved treatment outcomes and quality of life for patients, but has shaped best-practice standards across Australia, New Zealand, and globally.

As we look to the future, we remain committed to collaboration, innovation, and putting patients at the centre of everything we do.

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