The federal government is to fund a clinical trial for Australians with an aggressive form of brain cancer known as glioblastoma multiforme, or GBM.
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Health Minister Greg Hunt says up to $12 million will be provided over the next four years.
He says the money represents a grant opportunity for researchers to undertake an Adaptive Global Innovative Learning Environment (AGILE) trial in an Australian first.
"New cases of brain cancer are increasing each year and GBM accounts for 45 per cent of all malignant brain tumours," Mr Hunt said on Sunday.
"In 2020, 2000 Australians were diagnosed with brain cancer and tragically, less than a quarter will be alive in five years.
"The Australian Brain Cancer Mission aims to turn these statistics around, double survival rates and improve the quality of life of patients with brain cancer."
The trial will aim to help deliver effective treatments faster for patients of Australia's deadliest and most common brain cancer by allowing researchers to simultaneously study the effects of multiple unique drugs.
The initiative involves the government partnering with philanthropic organisation Minderoo Foundation, and the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation.
Cure Brain Cancer CEO Lance Kawaguchi says the AGILE trial will bring world-leading research and innovative treatments to Australian patients.
"Using a technique called adaptive randomisation, the trial connects patients with therapies that have the greatest chance of treating their cancer," he said.
"That means if one treatment is working better than another, more new patients will be given that treatment."
Australian Associated Press
