Launch of the National Tumour Centre "NCT WERA"

Bavaria's Minister of Health Klaus Holetschek has described the alliance between the University Hospital of Würzburg and the partner clinics in Erlangen, Regensburg and Augsburg for the new location of the National Centre for Tumour Diseases "NCT WERA" as an "outstanding milestone in the care of cancer patients in Bavaria". The Minister of State was the keynote speaker at the official opening event for the NCT WERA at Würzburg University Hospital on Friday.

First NCT Site in Bavaria

State Minister Holetschek emphasised in Würzburg: "This Bavarian university hospital network demonstrates the innovative strength of university medicine in Bavaria. The National Centre for Tumour Diseases aims to combine cutting-edge research with state-of-the-art patient treatment. By working closely with many other partners, new scientific findings can be transferred to clinical treatment as quickly as possible, thereby improving the treatment results and quality of life of cancer patients. NCT WERA is also focussing on rural regions."

In future, NCT WERA can be funded with up to 14.5 million euros per year by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy (StMWi). The four WERA partners cover a service area of around eight million people. Among other things, the NCT WERA will focus on the further expansion of innovative immunotherapies, for example with CAR-T cells, and the development of new molecular therapeutics. Special attention will be paid to personalised oncology. There will also be targeted programmes for young scientists and new professorships, and the existing network of clinical trials in rural areas will be further expanded. New formats for patient participation will also be introduced. In general, the study infrastructure is to be significantly expanded and improved in order to advance innovations more quickly in the future and integrate them into local care. The NCT WERA is the first site of the National Centre for Tumour Diseases in Bavaria.

The National Centre for Tumour Diseases (NCT) is a long-term cooperation between the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), excellent partners in university medicine and other outstanding research partners at various locations in Germany. Heidelberg has been the first location of the NCT since 2004, Dresden has been the second location since 2015. As part of the National Decade Against Cancer, which was proclaimed by the BMBF at the beginning of 2019, the NCT was expanded nationwide by four new sites last February following a selection process lasting several years. One of these sites is the NCT WERA, which is coordinated from Würzburg.

Innovative Early Clinical Trials

"The NCT closes critical gaps that exist in Germany, particularly in the area of innovative early clinical trials. With the NCT now expanded to six sites, we are creating an ideal platform to test our own innovations in scientifically driven early clinical trials and to compete on an equal footing with the world's leading centres in this field in the future. At the same time, we are giving significantly more cancer patients in Germany access to advances in cancer research," explains Professor Michael Baumann, Scientific Director and Chairman of the Executive Board of the German Cancer Research Centre and one of the two spokespersons of the NCT Steering Committee.

Patients as Research Partners

The NCT WERA is coordinated and managed by the Würzburg site. The NCT WERA spokesperson is Professor Hermann Einsele, Director of the Medical Clinic II at the University Hospital of Würzburg. The deputy spokesperson is Professor Wolfgang Herr, Director of the Medical Clinic III at the University Hospital Regensburg.

Professor Einsele: "For this transfer of research results from the laboratory to direct application on patients, the framework conditions will be significantly improved once again and we will be able to offer many new innovative diagnostic and treatment options for patients in Bavaria. At the same time, we will establish attractive programmes for young scientists." Patients will be involved as active research partners, emphasises Professor Herr: "Patients will already be involved in the design and development of future studies. The NCT Patient Advisory Board is of particular importance here. We will also continue to develop the necessary structures for this." The NCT WERA works closely with the Comprehensive Cancer Centres ("CCC") of the participating university hospitals and universities.

Joint Study Concepts are Being Developed

In the coming months, the joint infrastructure will first be established. This includes a joint office, which will be located in Würzburg. The first joint study concepts will also be developed.

Around 140 guests attended the official launch of the NCT WERA. Welcoming the guests, Professor Matthias Frosch, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Würzburg, emphasised: "The NCT WERA clearly demonstrates how scientific excellence and interdisciplinary cooperation can be combined at several locations. This is one of the core tasks of university medicine. The first-time designation as an NCT also impressively demonstrates the strengths of Bavaria as a research location."

Background Information on the National Centre for Tumour Diseases:

https://nct.dkfz.de/en/index.html

https://nct.dkfz.de/standorte/nct-wera.html

Further Voices on the Launch of NCT WERA:

Professor Ralf Bargou, University Hospital of Würzburg, spokesperson for the CCC WERA, Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Centre (CCC Mainfranken), member of the NCT WERA Executive Board: "The NCT funding will significantly strengthen the study infrastructure and clinical research of the CCCs in our joint WERA alliance. More than 10,000 new patients are already being included in joint clinical trials here every year. We will now be able to expand this further within the NCT alliance. This will also benefit cooperation with doctors in private practice and other hospitals in the region."

Professor Marianne Pavel, Head of Endocrinology and Diabetology at the Medical Clinic 1 at the University Hospital Erlangen, member of the NCT WERA Executive Board: "'Cure is a question of time, sometimes it is also a question of favourable opportunity' (Hippocrates). The NCT network makes it possible for the first time to treat even rare tumour diseases with innovative therapies. The Erlangen site with the German Centre for Immunotherapy is characterised by a high level of expertise in the field of immunotherapies, which will continue to be the focus of research. In addition, completely new treatment options are opening up, which will find a real implementation level through the NCT network."

Professor Matthias W. Beckmann, Director of the Women's Clinic at the University Hospital Erlangen, CCC WERA Director Erlangen: "We at the NCT WERA site in Erlangen are very happy that we can give our patients access to early translational studies of the NCT network. Our patients are particularly pleased to benefit directly from the latest scientific findings and innovative therapies here on site. This gives them hope and encourages them to fight their disease."

Professor Klaus Markstaller, Chairman of the Board and Medical Director of Augsburg University Hospital: "As a young university location, we are proud to be part of this top oncological network. This underlines the importance of oncological research and care at Augsburg University Hospital and the outstanding achievements of all the specialist disciplines involved."

Professor Nina Ditsch, Managing Senior Physician at the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at Augsburg University Hospital, member of the NCT WERA Executive Board: "Being an active part of the NCT as a WERA network with the Würzburg, Erlangen, Regensburg and Augsburg sites not only promotes the further development and expansion of the structures already created as a centre of excellence, but also enables the targeted funding of jointly developed translational projects with a focus on investigator-initiated studies for the first time. By creating special networking structures in the areas of research and clinical practice, the offer and implementation of innovative diagnostic approaches and therapies against cancer will be accelerated and optimised in close cooperation with patient representatives, making it easier for patients to access them both regionally and nationally. The aim is international visibility. The University Hospital is delighted to be able to intensify, expand and promote the close networking of patient advocates and doctors already practised in Augsburg by recognising the Augsburg site in the WERA network as a new NCT site."

Professor Martin Trepel, Director of the Second Medical Clinic and Director of the CCC Augsburg: "The award of the Augsburg site in association with the University Hospitals of Würzburg, Erlangen and Regensburg (WERA) as a new site of the National Centre for Tumour Diseases is a milestone for this young university medical site. Just like WERA's award as an Oncological Centre of Excellence last year, this will raise the care of tumour patients and cancer research to an even higher, internationally outstanding level. The aim is to involve the entire region in this concept and give everyone living there better access to the latest cancer diagnosis and treatment methods. The involvement of patients as research partners and advisors plays a key role here. The University Hospital and the Comprehensive Cancer Centre Augsburg (CCCA) are proud and grateful to be able to shape these developments together with the partners in the WERA network."