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Clinical trial research plays a crucial role in improving outcomes for people living with blood cancer. At the Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group (ALLG) we know that access to clinical trials is crucial in advancing treatment options and improving lives for people with blood cancer. At ALLG, our clinician researchers design and deliver investigator-initiated trials that include novel therapies, providing patients with treatment opportunities that may not be otherwise available.

Our focus is on active delivery of leading clinical trials that bring new treatments to patients; expanding our reach to ensure all communities have the opportunity to benefit from new treatments; and that our research reflects the diversity of people living with blood cancer.

Why Clinical Trials Matter

Blood cancers like leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma affect nearly 20,000 Australians and 2,500 New Zealanders every year. Together, they are the second most diagnosed cancer annually. Unfortunately, close to 6,000 people will die from their blood cancer every year.

There is no known preventative screening for blood cancers, and they can occur in anyone, at any age, at any time. Concerningly, the incidence of blood cancers continues to rise in Australia, with a 47% increase over the past decade.

There are over 120 subtypes of leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other blood cancers. For many blood cancers, treatments have progressed well and survival rates have risen over the past 30 years. For others, like acute myeloid leukaemia and multiple myeloma, the prognosis remains grim. The reality is that for too many blood cancers, treatments still consist of burdensome, toxic therapies that greatly affect quality of life.

Blood cancer clinical trials are the only way to assess and validate new therapies that can extend survival and reduce side effects. Through ethically conducted studies, the ALLG helps patients access cutting-edge treatments before they are widely available, contributing to global improvements in blood cancer treatment and care. Our trials include not only new drugs and targeted therapies, but also research studies that focus on quality of life and cost effectiveness, ensuring breakthroughs truly benefit patients and communities.

How ALLG is Improving Access

Many patients with blood cancer still face barriers to accessing clinical trials and new treatments across Australia and New Zealand. Barriers to access can include location, age and the rarity of many blood cancers. ALLG’s Teletrial Program enables patients to participate in clinical trials closer to home – reducing the need to travel while maintaining the same high standards of care and research integrity.

ALLG is committed to designing and delivering clinical trials that overcome barriers to participation and create opportunities for people with blood cancer who are often underrepresented.

As Australasia’s only independent, collaborative and not-for-profit blood cancer clinical trials group, ALLG is uniquely positioned to meet these challenges. Our independence allows us to put plans in place for all blood cancers, searching for answers to the most clinically relevant and important questions to improve patient care and quality of life.

In the last 12 months, ALLG has continued our priority focus on bringing clinical trials and new treatments to underrepresented populations, including:

ALL09 SUBLIME – delivering a new immunotherapy combination to adolescent & young adult acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) patients

AMLM26 INTERCEPT – our unique, molecularly-targeted, multi-arm adaptive trial focused on keeping acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients in remission through novel therapeutic approaches

BM12 CAST – implementing a less toxic treatment that increased survival outcomes and reduced graft versus host disease (GVHD) in stem cell transplant patients (published in the New England Journal of Medicine)

CML11 PINNACLE – combining targeted therapy with immune based-therapy treatment that helped people newly diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) to achieve deeper, faster responses to treatment, potentially leading to better long-term control of CML (published in the British Journal of Haematology)

NHL32 PCNSL – assessing a new immunotherapy combination for the very rare and aggressive primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL)

Improving access also requires engagement with communities, clinicians and policymakers to raise awareness of clinical trials that reflect diverse patient populations and overcome barriers to access. Recently Delaine Smith, ALLG CEO, participated in the Medical Research Future Fund Roundtable discussion, advocating for reforms and increased investment in Australian blood cancer research.

Advancing Access through Clinical Trial Leadership

Through our collaborative network of clinicians, researchers and hospital trial sites across Australia and New Zealand, ALLG delivers high-quality clinical trials that bring innovative treatments closer to patients regardless of where they live. By prioritising inclusive trial design, strengthening regional and international partnerships and improving how trials are delivered, ALLG is ensuring that our research reflects the diversity of blood cancers and has real world impact on global standard of care.

As a not-for-profit organisation we rely on the support of its community to deliver clinical trials and advance blood cancer research. Find out more about the many ways you can support us.