Launch of the National Tumor Center "NCT WERA"

Cancer research in Bavaria will be expanded thanks to the alliance of the university hospital sites in Würzburg, Erlangen, Regensburg and Augsburg. Health Minister Holetschek: "Outstanding milestone for cancer care in Bavaria."

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 Center for Tumor 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 emphasized in Würzburg: "This Bavarian university hospital network demonstrates the innovative strength of university medicine in Bavaria. The National Center for Tumor 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 also has rural regions in mind."

The NCT WERA will receive up to 14.5 million euros per year in funding from 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 personalized oncology. In addition, there will be targeted offers for young scientists and new professorships and the existing network of clinical studies 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 location of the National Center for Tumor Diseases in Bavaria.

The National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) is a long-term cooperation between the German Cancer Research Center (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 after 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 centers 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 Center 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 opportunities for young scientists." Patients will be involved as active research partners, emphasizes 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 Centers ("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 ceremonial launch of the NCT WERA. Welcoming the guests, Professor Matthias Frosch, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Würzburg, emphasized: "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 Center for Tumor Diseases:

• www.nct.dkfz.de
• www.nct-wera.de

Further voices on the launch of the "NCT WERA":

Professor Ralf Bargou, University Hospital of Würzburg, spokesperson for the CCC WERA, Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center (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. Cooperation with doctors in private practice and other hospitals in the region will also benefit from this."

Professor Marianne Pavel, Head of Endocrinology and Diabetology at the Medical Clinic 1 at Erlangen University Hospital, member of the NCT WERA Executive Board: "'Healing is a question of time, sometimes it is also a question of a favorable opportunity' (Hippocrates). The NCT network makes it possible for the first time to treat even rare tumor diseases with innovative therapies. The Erlangen site with the German Center for Immunotherapy is characterized 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 courage 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 oncology 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 Obstetrics and Gynecology 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 center 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 clinics, the offer and implementation of innovative diagnostic approaches and therapies against cancer will be accelerated and optimized 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 pleased to be able to intensify, expand and promote the close networking of patient advocates and doctors already practiced in Augsburg by awarding the Augsburg site in the WERA network as a new NCT site."

Professor Martin Trepel, Director of the II. 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 Center for Tumor Diseases is a milestone for this young university medical site. Just like WERA's award last year as an Oncology Center of Excellence, this will raise the care of tumor 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 in this. The University Hospital and the Comprehensive Cancer Center Augsburg (CCCA) are proud and grateful to be able to shape these developments together with the partners in the WERA network."

To the press release on the website of Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg