AN INTERNATIONAL NOVEL THERAPEUTICS ACCELERATOR FOR BRAIN TUMOURS: EARLY IMPACT AND LESSONS LEARNED

Abstract AIMS Developing a translational programme for brain tumours involves navigating numerous challenges, including robustness of preclinical studies, safety, clinical trial design, understanding and addressing regulatory require- ments, and funding. Recognising the difficulty of this journey, the Brain Tumour Research - Novel Therapeutics Accelerator (BTR-NTA) was launched in 2023. The BTR-NTA is an accelerator programme providing indepen- dent expert guidance to de-risk drug or device development through systematic evaluation. The international, multidisciplinary BTR-NTA Committee spans expertise across the entire therapeutic development pipeline. Sup- ported by Brain Tumour Research, the BTR-NTA programme is free for academic applicants. METHODS Researchers at any stage of therapeutic development may apply to BTR-NTA. Accepted applicants receive up to 240 hours of expert input, with feedback on strengths, identification of potential risks, and guidance on next steps. As part of the BTR-NTA review, the applicants and Committee meet in-person to constructively evaluate and discuss the proposed therapeutic strategy. RESULTS Since the launch of BTR-NTA in 2023, 24 international groups have applied to the programme, eleven therapeu- tics have been advanced to the in-person review by the BTR-NTA Committee, and 34 multidisciplinary experts have been involved. All applicants who provided feedback on the programme intended to refine their future work based on the Committee’s input, 86% said the process provided new insights or ideas they had not previ- ously considered, and the average rating of the programme’s usefulness was 9.7 out of 10. A number of com- mon challenges to developing therapies in the brain tumour field have been identified and these lessons can be shared with the wider brain tumour community to help accelerate the translation of future therapies. CONCLUSION The ultimate goal of the BTR-NTA programme is to help researchers with a potential therapy for brain tumours navigate the development journey and reach the clinic in an efficient way.