Clinical Committee
Over the past few months, the BNOS Clinical Committee have been very active towards their aim of providing a valid and impartial clinical opinion regarding new treatments.
Two new position statements have been written on the current status of access and evidence for Vorasidenib and Tumour Treating Fields (TTF). You can access these here:
In addition, to ensure equitable access to treatments, surveys were circulated to members on the managed access programme for Vorasidenib, and to assess clinical support for TTF. Updates on the results of these surveys will be shared in due course.
To improve access to new drugs for brain tumour patients, we are lobbying NICE for access to BRAF inhibitors for BRAF mutated tumours in adults, to align with the paediatric guidance.
To ensure new treatments are assessed in a timely way for our patients, we are active stakeholders in the current NICE technology assessment of Vorasidenib. We submitted comments and applied to be a stakeholder at the NICE review meeting, although unfortunately we were not selected to attend.
Academic Committee
The Academic Committee have also been very active, organising a number of brand new events for diverse sections of the community.
Webinars:
They delivered online Translational Research Webinars on immunotherapy for GBM, preclinical models in neuro-oncology research, medulloblastoma, personalised treatment and a joint session with the British Neuropathology Society on next generation diagnostics. They were joined by over 100 attendees with speakers from Leeds, Manchester, Vienna, New York, Nottingham and Houston, demonstrating a broad international reach and impact.
Allied Healthcare Professional training day
This was held online on 4th March to address the needs of professionals working in neuro-oncology outside of the main annual meeting. Topics covered included end of life care, whole genome sequencing and awake craniotomy. There were more than 50 sign ups and the sessions were recorded and made available to members via the Members’ Area website.
Grant workshop for Early Career Researchers
This event was another first for BNOS, supporting a vital part of the society’s breadth and membership. It was held in person at Nottingham University on 25th April. Over £10,000 in pump priming support was obtained from charity and industry to support the most promising collaborative projects arising from the day.
Future work
This involves launching a mentorship program to support society members across all career pathways in neuro-oncology, and there will be a dedicated “Trials Update” session at BNOS 2025 to inform members of open and upcoming clinical trials in the UK and spotlight excellence and opportunities.