Brain Tumour Research Novel Therapeutics Accelerator (BTR-NTA)
The Brain Tumour Research Novel Therapeutics Accelerator (BTR-NTA) is an accelerator programme that provides independent and holistic guidance to help researchers position their therapeutic or technology along a realistic pathway to clinical trials.
Applications now open!
Applications for the Brain Tumour Research Novel Therapeutics Accelerator are now open.
Please download and complete the BTR-NTA Pre-application Form if your group wishes to be considered for review. On completion of the Pre-Application Form, please contact Dr Charlotte Aitken (BTR-NTA Programme Manager) to get instructions on how to upload the form to a designated Dropbox folder (please do not email the form directly) charlotte.aitken@tessajowellbcm.org
The BTR-NTA Applicant Guide contains useful information on the programme, review timelines and FAQs.
Why the BTR-NTA was launched
Despite there being several encouraging pre-clinical studies, few brain tumour therapeutics make it to successful human trials due to barriers throughout the development pathway.
The BTR-NTA programme aims to help researchers address these barriers by:
- Highlighting potential pitfalls or risks in their project
- Giving multi-disciplinary feedback on work to date
- Providing constructive guidance on future work and next steps
- Recommending potential avenues for partnerships or funding
- Strengthening international collaboration in the brain tumour field
The ultimate goal of BTR-NTA is to provide guidance to enable researchers working on promising therapeutics.
How the BTR-NTA programme works
Academic or industry researchers can apply twice a year for their work to be reviewed by the BTR-NTA committee. If accepted, applicants go through the following process:
The expert review committee
The BTR-NTA has been developed by a core committee of 12 international drug development experts from within and outside the brain tumour field.
BTR-NTA Core Committee
In addition to the core committee, an extended bank of experts are drawn on to provide guidance specific to the applicants’ needs e.g., regulatory, delivery technologies, genomics and statistics.
When is the next review meeting?
The next BTR-NTA review meeting will be held May 2024 in Europe, with up to five suitable therapeutics being chosen for review. Review meetings are held in-person to provide the opportunity for collaborative discussions between applicants and reviewers.
Applications for this review meeting are now open – please complete a BTR-NTA Pre-application Form if your group wishes to be considered for review.
Applicant FAQs
1. Why should I apply?
- Access to a room full of high-quality, multidisciplinary experts whose goal is to help you advance and connect
- The opportunity to receive independent and holistic feedback on your work to date and practical guidance on next steps
- To have your potential pitfalls identified prior to approaching funders, which could save you time and resources
2. Am I eligible to apply?
BTR-NTA welcomes researchers developing any type of therapeutic (including delivery technologies and devices) for brain tumour patients:
- Both academic and industry researchers
- At any stage of pre-clinical or clinical work
- With a paediatric or adult focus
- Developing novel or repurposed therapeutics
- From anywhere in the world
BTR-NTA also welcomes research groups who have a therapeutic for another indication, but are considering brain cancer as a new indication
3. What type of feedback can I seek?
- You can seek guidance on a range of issues including: animal models, brain penetrance, clinical trial protocols, regulatory requirements, intellectual property etc
4. Is the process confidential?
- The review process is conducted under a strict confidentiality agreement and all reviewers are assessed for conflicts of interest
- Any intellectual property produced during the review process remains with you
5. What is the cost?
- The BTR-NTA review process will be free for academic / non-commercial applicants. A modest sliding fee will be charged to industry applicants based on the size of your company
- All applicants will be asked to pay an administration fee to secure a place on this sought after programme
For further information, please refer to the BTR-NTA Applicant Guide
Who to contact
If you are interested in applying, would like to become an expert reviewer, or would like more information, please register below or contact Charlotte Aitken (BTR-NTA Programme Manager) – charlotte.aitken@tessajowellbcm.org
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Brain Tumour Research for funding the BTR-NTA programme. We would also like to thank the TACT (TREAT-NMD Advisory Committee for Therapeutics) team for providing their toolkit and support to assist the TJBCM in developing this programme.
If you would like more information on the BTR-NTA programme, please register your interest here: