HERSHEY, Pa. — The Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium, an international network of centers conducting pediatric oncology clinical trials, headquartered at Penn State College of Medicine, received a new $3 million philanthropic commitment from the Beat Childhood Cancer Foundation. The funding will help advance new and ongoing clinical trials and safer, more effective and more personalized treatments for children diagnosed with cancer.
“Investing in pediatric oncology requires real courage,” said Giselle Saulnier Sholler, chair and founder of the Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium and director of pediatric oncology research at Penn State College of Medicine. “Pediatric populations are small and regulatory pathways are complex. We are deeply grateful for partners like the Beat Childhood Cancer Foundation who choose to stand with children and families and champion the therapies these patients urgently need.”
While separate organizations, the Beat Childhood Cancer Foundation and the Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium share a common commitment: improving outcomes and quality of life for children with cancer through innovative research and child-informed treatment strategies.
The Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded and led by parents seeking better options for children facing cancer. It partners with foundations nationwide to guide investments in precision medicine and research approaches that reflect the real-world needs of children and survivors.
The Research Consortium includes more than 55 children’s hospitals and research institutions in North America, Europe and South America. It manages multi-site pediatric cancer clinical trials from concept through completion, providing children with access to novel therapies not otherwise available. For example, the Research Consortium advanced preclinical research to clinical trials that ultimately led to IWILFIN (DFMO), a therapy approved by the Food and Drug Administration to reduce the risk of relapse for pediatric high-risk neuroblastoma patients.
The Research Consortium’s model, which unites researchers, industry partners and clinicians, allows children to access promising therapies closer to home, reducing barriers for families while accelerating the pace of research. The Research Consortium will apply this same model to pediatric brain tumors, sarcomas, and other rare childhood cancers that currently have few treatment options.
“This commitment reflects the voices of parents and advocates who know firsthand how urgently children need better options,” said Sarah Bartosz, executive director of the Beat Childhood Cancer Foundation. “By supporting the Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium, we are helping ensure innovative clinical trials reach every child, everywhere. For us, hope is not just a word, it is an action."
To date, the Research Consortium has opened more than 28 clinical trials, including new cutting-edge and molecular-guided therapies for children with high-risk, relapsed or refractory solid tumors.
"This commitment underscores the power of strategic partnership in advancing pediatric cancer research," said Karen Kim, dean of Penn State College of Medicine. "At the College of Medicine, we are committed to translating scientific discovery into clinical impact; by aligning philanthropic leadership with a proven clinical trials infrastructure, we are accelerating discoveries that can change the standard of care for children worldwide."