ABM: PLN 600 million for research in the field of oncology

The World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In Poland, the situation is alarming; by 2025, cancer could become the leading cause of death for Poles. According to forecasts by the Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Institute of Oncology, cancer mortality in Poland is 15% higher than the EU average, and the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant drop in the number of diagnosed cases. In the face of these challenges, support for this therapeutic area, by increasing the number of non-commercial clinical trials, is essential.

In Poland, non-commercial clinical trials account for only 7.5% of all registered clinical trials, compared to about 30% in Western European countries. The main barrier to the development of such trials in Poland is the lack of an effective funding mechanism.

- This is a historic ABM competition in terms of allocation. We are allocating PLN 600 million. for a very important area. We want the projects to fit into both the National Cancer Strategy and Europe's Beating Cancer Plan. That's why we're betting on international research to support a common goal - better diagnosis and more effective treatment for cancer patients. Already in this competition, together with the ABM Council, we have modified the proposal so that the scientifically best possible proposals can receive funding. In science, it is worth giving examples of successes. In oncology, for example, this is an ongoing research project under our grant among patients with osteosarcoma. We already have the first good results in patients who - thanks to their participation in a non-commercial ABM-funded clinical trial - have been put on modern therapies. This proves that non-commercial research is changing medicine, and it's a motivation for the Agency to take further steps in this area," said Rafal Staszewski, MD, deputy president for research funding at the Medical Research Agency

Objectives of the competition and conditions for participation

The main objective of the competition organized by the Medical Research Agency is the implementation of non-commercial clinical trials and research experiments in the field of oncology, aimed at identifying and evaluating new medicinal products and medical procedures, including diagnostic and therapeutic ones.

The competition is addressed to universities, scientific institutes, medical entities and entrepreneurs with the status of a research and development center. Applications must be submitted in English from June 24, 2024 to November 14, 2024 only in electronic form via the ICT system available on the Agency's website.

Source: ABM