The Epworth Centre for Immunotherapies and Snowdome Laboratories launched this week, ensuring blood cancer patients at Epworth can gain access to the very best possible care, guided by innovative treatments and technology.
This dedicated facility will offer patients access to ground-breaking clinical trials and curative treatments to provide hope to more patients than ever before.
One of the most revolutionary advances in medical science in recent years has been the use of cell therapy to treat blood cancers. Epworth is establishing a cellular therapies service so we can commence CAR-T cell therapy for cancer patients.
As Scott Bulger, Executive Director of Epworth Medical Foundation reflects, the Epworth Centre for Immunotherapies and Snowdome Laboratories is 100 per cent funded by the generosity of donors to the Epworth Medical Foundation and Snowdome Foundation.
"Epworth is proud to partner with the Snowdome Foundation and we are grateful to the many donors who helped make this world-class facility a reality," says Scott Bulger, Executive Director of Epworth Medical Foundation.
"Epworth and the Snowdome Foundation share a vision to give hope to every blood cancer patient, and together, we hope to find a cure and change the face of cancer treatment forever."
The new facility represents the first step in establishing the Cellular Therapies service.
"The process of collecting, creating and storing lifesaving CAR-T cells requires a dedicated laboratory equipped with highly specialised equipment," says Dr Costas Yannakou, Deputy Medical Director of the Department of Molecular Oncology and Cancer Immunology and Director of the Haematology Clinical Trials Unit at Epworth.
"This facility dedicated to Cellular Therapies will enable Epworth to treat more cancer patients with cutting-edge CAR-T cell therapies and ultimately save more lives."
As Snowdome Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Kirstee Macbeth reflects, blood cancer doesn't discriminate.
"Men, women and children are all affected equally. Unlike other cancers, routine screening and public health awareness campaigns won't reduce anyone's risk of developing blood cancer."
"With diagnoses rising, there is an urgent need to seek a greater understanding of blood cancers and find new treatments and cures.
"Cell therapies are a ground-breaking new type of cancer treatment and Snowdome is proud to connect our donors with initiatives that are proving to be very promising for blood cancer patients."
