Every child in WA with cancer deserves access to the latest and most effective treatment without having to travel far from home. By expanding oncology clinical trial opportunities at Perth Children’s Hospital, WA children will benefit from access to cutting-edge therapies developed locally and around the world.
Over and above receiving the benefits of the worlds’ newest cancer treatments, it has been proven that simply being enrolled and treated as part of a clinical trial results in better outcomes for children. This is due to a combination of receiving standardised treatment protocols, a higher level of monitoring, and stringent quality controls. As such, clinical trials are considered the gold standard of care for children with cancer.
Perth Children’s Hospital’s Oncology Clinical Trials Unit
The Perth Children’s Hospital’s Oncology Clinical Trials Unit is Western Australia’s only dedicated paediatric oncology clinical trials service, founded on more than 30 years of internationally accredited excellence in children’s cancer research. With a strong reputation for high quality trial delivery and robust governance, the Unit has played a leading role in advancing paediatric cancer care through the delivery of Phase II, III and IV clinical trials. This experience is reinforced by long-standing collaborations with national and international groups, including the Australia and New Zealand Children’s Haematology and Oncology Group (ANZCHOG) and the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), with Perth Children’s Hospital being the first centre outside North America to achieve full COG membership.
With the establishment of the WA Comprehensive Kids Cancer Centre, the Oncology Clinical Trials Unit enters a new chapter. Building on its strength in sponsored trials, the centre now supports the targeted development of investigator-led and laboratory-driven studies, accelerating the translation of discovery research into clinical application and ensuring Western Australia remains a respected contributor to global paediatric oncology research.
Our research and trial focus
Consortia-sponsored clinical trials
Participation in internationally coordinated Phase II and III clinical trials, providing access to evidence based, protocol driven therapies that represent the gold standard of paediatric cancer care.
Investigator initiated studies
Locally led clinical research addressing clinically relevant questions and unmet patient needs. In select areas, our teams lead globally significant initiatives arising from locally driven research.
Lab bench to patient bedside
Translational research supporting the safe movement of laboratory discoveries into clinical evaluation.
First in human clinical trials
Early phase trials assessing the initial safety and feasibility of novel therapies under strict ethical and governance oversight.
Clinical research registries
Systematic collection of clinical and outcome data to support research, quality improvement and future trial development.
Biobanking
Collection and storage of biological samples to support translational research and future studies.
Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) clinical trials
The Oncology Clinical Trials Unit supports the Youth Cancer Centre at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital to provide international and investigator initiated clinical trials access for adolescents and young adults statewide.
Oncology Clinical Trials Unit – team and support
The Oncology Clinical Trials Unit comprises a multidisciplinary team including:
Clinical Research Assistants, Coordinators and Data Managers: Coordinate clinical trial activities and manage trial data.
Clinical Research and Trials Nurses: Deliver protocol driven nursing care and support trial participants and clinical teams.
Consultant Paediatric Oncologists: Provide clinical leadership and act as lead or associate investigators.
Clinical Research Pharmacists: Provide oversight of investigational medicines used in clinical trials.
Clinical Research and Trials Service Manager: Provides operational leadership and ensures regulatory and accreditation compliance.
The Unit is supported by many other teams and hospital departments within Perth Children’s Hospital and within The Kids Research Institute Australia to ensure safe and effective delivery of oncology clinical trials through access to clinical and laboratory technology and infrastructure.
What are clinical trials?
Clinical trials are a core part of modern paediatric cancer care and give children and young people access to new and promising treatments. They play a vital role in improving how cancer is detected, treated and managed, and help ensure care is aligned with international best practice.
Children enrolled in clinical trials receive high-quality, closely monitored care under strict safety and ethical standards. Some trials involve treatments not yet widely available, but all are carefully reviewed before being offered.
If a clinical trial may be suitable, the treating oncologist will discuss this with the family, including what participation involves and any potential benefits and risks. Participation is always voluntary, and children will continue to receive high quality care whether or not they take part.
Preclinical trials: How we develop clinical trials in the lab
The development of new therapeutic clinical trials often begin in the lab. Our researchers spend years refining their ideas to ensure a treatment is effective and safe to use in clinical trials. Currently, it can take over a decade to translate research into the clinic.
The Centre increases our capacity to undertake more research and facilitate the clinical translation of these laboratory breakthroughs, from discovering a new treatment to testing it in a clinical trial.
Together, our research and clinical teams are working to ensure every child and young person in WA has access to the most advanced cancer treatments, and the best chance at a healthy future.
Success stories & outcomes
Ultimately, our work hopes to provide all WA children, adolescents and young adults with cancer access to the most advanced, effective treatments available. We aim to give families hope by improving survival and ensuring that children across the state have the best possible chance to live long, healthy lives beyond cancer.
Milestones SJELiOT (The Kids Research Institute Australia trial) – Bench to Bedside Example
The SJELiOT Phase 1 trial evaluated the novel agent in combination with chemotherapy for relapsed or refractory childhood brain cancer, specifically medulloblastoma. The primary objective was to establish the maximum tolerated dose, a critical step for advancing treatment options for this aggressive cancer. The findings will inform future trial design and treatment development.
World First: Australian child first in the world to trial new brain cancer treatment - First-in-Human Trial – Connect Study for Brain Tumours
The CONNECT1905 Phase 2 trial is evaluating tocilizumab, an IL-6 receptor antagonist already approved for paediatric arthritis, as a novel therapy for children with progressive or recurrent Adamantinomatous Craniopharyngioma (ACP), a rare and debilitating paediatric brain tumour with few effective treatment options beyond surgery and radiation. The trial opened at Perth Children's Hospital in early 2023 with the first patient enrolled globally. The primary objective is to determine whether tocilizumab is safe and effective at inducing tumour response.
Dr Santosh Valvi is a Paediatric Oncologist at Perth Children’s Hospital. Dr Valvi along with Research Manager Jennifer McConnell established WA's first Oncology Early Phase Clinical Trials Unit at Perth Children's Hospital in 2017, eliminating the need for WA families to travel interstate for Phase 1 and 2 trials. Dr Valvi drives translational and clinical research capacity through strong collaborations across local, national, and international networks.
He is an active member of international consortia including the Children’s Oncology Group, COllaborative Network for NEuro-oncology Clinical Trials (CONNECT) Consortium and Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC) where he contributes to the design and delivery of global clinical trials for paediatric brain cancers. He is the Deputy Chair of the ANZCHOG CNS Tumours Group and Chairs the ANCHOG National Tumour Board. Dr Valvi contributes to research governance through the Child and Adolescent Health Service and WA Health Human Research Ethics Committees. Together with Co-Head Liz Darch, he is driving innovation and improving outcomes through clinical trial research for children with cancer in WA.
Liz Darch
Co-Theme Lead, Clinical Trials
Liz Darch is the Clinical Nurse Manager of Ward 1A at Perth Children's Hospital, a position she has held across the transition from Princess Margaret Hospital - representing many years of dedicated service to children with cancer and their families.
Throughout her career, Liz has been a central figure in advancing the nursing contribution to clinical research, with deep involvement in the delivery of clinical trials. Her work bridges the gap between clinical research and bedside care, ensuring that nursing expertise shapes how new treatments are developed and experienced by patients.
