The Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, ​​the first BCC center outside North America to promote international clinical trials for pediatric patients with cancer

The Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB) at SJD Barcelona Children’s Hospital has become the first center outside North America to join Beat Childhood Cancer (BCC), an international consortium for childhood cancer research that until now only included centers in the United States and Canada.

BCC is dedicated to developing clinical trials for pediatric cancers, in collaboration with emerging pharmaceutical companies that develop new treatments. Trials in the United States are promoted directly by the consortium, while SJD will assume the role of European sponsor.

The projects are funded by the Beat Childhood Cancer Foundation, a project driven by fundraising initiatives led by families affected by pediatric cancer in the United States.

According to Dr. Jaume Mora, scientific director of the Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona at SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital and head of the research group "Sarcomas and Neuroblastoma" at the Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu: "This agreement allows our patients to access the most innovative treatments promoted from the USA. Our experience in clinical trials and the comprehensive care of more than 400 new patients each year will enable us to contribute significantly to international research and improve the quality of life of children living with cancer."

Next week, the first clinical trial BCC018, which studies the use of naxitamab as first-line treatment in patients newly diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma, will be submitted for evaluation to the European portal CTIS. This step represents a key advance for patients outside North America to access innovative treatments developed by the Beat Childhood Cancer Consortium.

The PCCB has a highly specialized team and facilities that integrate care services and spaces dedicated to research, ensuring more effective and efficient treatment for pediatric cancer patients.

With this incorporation, SJD strengthens its position as an international reference center in research and innovation in pediatric cancer.