Priority Needs

Health care is undergoing transformation like never before, and philanthropy is essential to driving that transformation. More than ever, generous supporters have the power to help turn promising research and medical breakthroughs that give patients the highest possibility of a cure.

If you are in a position to fund a clinical trial, purchase a piece of specialised equipment or a key resource in its entirety, please contact our CEO, Meg Croucher .A gift of this type will allow us to immediately improve patient care and outcomes. There is a critical need for investment in the future of health care.

Our Priority Needs are initiatives, trials and equipment that are urgently needed.

Urgent Priority Needs

We urgently need your help to meet priority needs in a number of key WARPNINE programs, including:

i-GOLSTA
Clinical Trial

A bold new approach to oesophageal and gastro-oesophageal cancer

iGOLSTA is a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial focused on improving outcomes for people diagnosed with inoperable adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus, gastro-oesophageal junction, and stomach — a group of cancers with some of the lowest survival rates and fewest options.

This trial combines three promising components in a new frontline approach:

Modified FOLFIRINOX – a more tolerable chemotherapy regimen
LSTA1 – a tumour-penetrating peptide that helps drugs reach the tumour more effectively
Nivolumab – a proven immunotherapy that may strengthen the body’s immune response

This isn’t more of the same. iGOLSTA is designed to help patients stay stronger for longer, improve quality of life, and increase the chance of potentially curative surgery.

Progress to Date

Thanks to early philanthropic investment, the trial is well underway in its planning phase:

Trial design finalised in partnership with the Australasian Gastrointestinal Trials Group (AGITG)
Three-arm study focused on safety, tolerability, and early efficacy
Key collaboration secured with Columbia University’s A/Prof Kazuki Sugahara, global leader in tumour-penetrating peptide research
Biological sub-studies underway, including microbiome analysis to help predict treatment response
Site planning in progress, including regional and public centres across WA

Why This Trial Matters

Oesophageal and gastro-oesophageal cancers are often diagnosed late and treated with toxic regimens that offer limited survival benefit. iGOLSTA has the potential to:

Provide a more tolerable and effective frontline treatment
Increase the number of patients eligible for curative surgery
Generate critical translational data to inform future treatment strategies
Expand access to patients across both public and private systems — including regional WA

What’s Next

First patient in: Targeted for Q3–Q4 2025
Trial sites: To be confirmed pending final HREC/governance approvals
Enrolment goal: 30 patients across three arms
Sponsorship: Final endorsement by AGITG expected mid-2025

"Your support doesn’t just fund a trial — it helps push new options forward for patients who urgently need them."

— Meg Croucher, CEO

Supportive Care Trials

Shaping cancer care beyond the tumour

At WARPNINE, we’re not just tackling cancer — we’re changing the experience of treatment itself. Two new clinical trials are preparing to launch, each designed to prevent some of the most common and debilitating side effects of chemotherapy.

These aren’t hypothetical fixes. They’re practical, patient-first interventions we can trial now — with your support.

PECAN Trial

Preventing Nerve Damage from Chemotherapy

Up to 70% of patients receiving common chemotherapies experience peripheral neuropathy — burning, numbness, balance issues that can last for years. There is currently no approved way to prevent it.

The PECAN trial will test whether palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), a natural compound with anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, can prevent this nerve damage when given from the start of treatment.

40-patient, placebo-controlled study
Targets patients receiving oxaliplatin or taxane-based chemotherapy
Measures nerve damage, pain, mood, function, and inflammation markers

Why it matters
If successful, PECAN could offer a safe, affordable way to protect thousands of patients from long-term harm — preserving mobility, independence, and quality of life.

PREDICT Trial

Modernising Nausea Control

To manage chemo-induced nausea, most patients receive dexamethasone — effective, but tied to long-term risks like insomnia, mood swings, blood sugar issues, and immune suppression.

The PREDICT trial will test whether a dual-steroid approach (prednisolone + hydrocortisone) can provide the same relief with fewer side effects.

40-patient crossover study
Each participant receives both regimens across two chemo cycles
Measures nausea control, hormonal effects, and patient preference

Why it matters
PREDICT could help reduce the burden of treatment itself — replacing a widely used standard with a safer, smarter option.

WARPNINE Fellowship Fund

WARPNINE’s mission is to address the inequity in treatment options and survival rates for pancreatic, gastro-intestinal and rare cancers and build on Western Australia’s best-in-the-world outcomes for patients diagnosed with these often-fatal diseases. We also seek to ensure that the life-changing work currently being driven by leading Western Australian Oncologists, Surgeons and specialists continues.

To do this, it is imperative to provide future leaders and visionaries with supportive pathways and unique opportunities to learn and develop their skills.

The WARPNINE Fellowship Fund will build Western Australia’s research and innovation capacity by providing the best and brightest emerging students with research training and career opportunities. Vetted individuals will be offered the chance to learn and work alongside current leaders in gastro-intestinal and rare cancer research and treatment.

With your support, we can provide emerging leaders with the independence and time needed to build their research aptitude while being supported and mentored. The WARPNINE Fellowship will also provide opportunities for recipients to hone their skills, bedside manner and establish vital leadership experience, all of which are essential to improving patient care and outcomes.

Aims of a WARPNINE Fellowship:

To attract and keep emerging research leaders that show the potential to drive, manage, and influence the next generation of health and medical innovation.
To expedite high-quality research into innovative and novel therapies to improve patient care and outcomes.
Promote research into underfunded and under-research malignancies.
To build on Western Australia’s best-in-the-world outcomes for gastro-intestinal and rare cancers and improve patient survival.

Expected Benefits of the Fellowship

A WARPNINE Fellowship aims to benefit all persons suffering from gastro-intestinal and rare cancers by providing unique education and training opportunities to develop the next generation of translational research physician-scientists in these fields. Fellowships give individuals the confidence, insights, and motivation to expand or extend their work in niche areas of medicine. This is incredibly important in helping to address the inequity in research for rare and gastro-intestinal cancers and improving treatment options and patient outcomes.