Velindre Cancer Research and Development Strategic Ambitions

Strategic Priority 1   The Trust will drive forward the implementation of its Cancer Research and Development Ambitions

From the Overarching Cancer Research and Development Ambitions Strategy 2021-31, we said we would: ‘Advance new treatments, interventions and care’

We have: Achieved key milestones for the Cardiff Cancer Research Partnership (CCRP)

In this period, we have:

• Heads of Terms has been approved by all three partners. This document sets out how the partners will work together on building the CCRH and demonstrates the partners’ commitment to this important project. A detailed, contractual Partnership Agreement is now being developed with NWSSP lawyers.
• We are working with an external supplier on a CCRH website which will be live imminently. This will be a virtual front door, presenting our work in a professional and compelling manner to the pharmaceutical and other life sciences companies that are looking for partners to conduct cancer research, and to attract funders of cancer research.
• CCRP’s Discovery and Translational Research Group continues to support research grants. Its first large, NHS/academic research grant to become an ATMP-focused MRC Centre of Research Excellence was unfortunately unsuccessful but paved the way to how CCRP can unify and coordinate Cardiff University’s cancer research activities in alignment with partners at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Velindre University NHS Trust. The group are now supporting another bid, PRIMED, a prostate cancer bid which is being written in collaboration with Siemens.
• The CCRP team have been doing excellent recruiting work on Monumental 6 and are the highest recruiter in the UK. They have also hit the recruitment target before the target deadline.
• Part of VUNHST’s aim to build capacity, capability and a critical mass within the research workforce, Katie Gilmour, CCRH Research Nurse, was awarded the Health and Care Research Wales Research Training Award to support her to study for a 2-year MRes Health Research at the University of Stirling.  Further to this, Gabby Brutto, also a CCRP Research Nurse, has commenced her MSc Research Module at University of South Wales.

Trial portfolio overview:

We have also: Welcomed exciting BioNTech vaccine trials within the CCRP trial portfolio

The Cancer Vaccine Launchpad Wales will come under the CCRP umbrella. This BioNTech – HCRW collaboration agreement is £600K over two years for clinical leadership time, delivery nurses, pharmacy, radiology, pathology time (CVUHB and VCC).

BioNTech trial portfolio overview: