UniSA 2021 Donor Impact Report - Flipbook - Page 8
Donors enable world-first
trial for pancreatic cancer
Together, we have reached our $700,000 target
Through our matched funding campaign, over
$350,000 was received from our supporters – meaning
Professor Shudong Wang and her colleagues at UniSA
are one-step closer to providing a breakthrough
treatment for people with pancreatic cancer.
Planning is currently underway to commence
Phase 1b of the clinical trial of the new
innovative drug Auceliciclib with pancreatic
cancer patients.
An extremely difficult cancer to diagnose
at an early stage, 90% of pancreatic cancer
patients die within five years making it
the lowest survival rate among the most
common types of cancers.
Having her cancer go undetected is part
of Gaynor’s story too. A former nurse and
midwife, Gaynor was enormously surprised
when she was diagnosed with stage 4
pancreatic cancer in February 2021 and only
given 12 months to live.
“Research and clinical
trials, like Professor
Wang’s, are desperately
needed. My hope is
that I can encourage
everyone reading
my story to support
research into pancreatic
cancer – it’s our only
hope,”
Gaynor said.
Taken as an oral capsule, Auceliciclib has
been designed to specifically target CDK4/6
enzymes, which have impaired function in
pancreatic cancer, making it more effective
with fewer side effects compared to the
current therapy.
We would like to sincerely thank everyone
who generously supported this important
cause.
Adelaide resident Gaynor van der Walt,
with her daughters, Michaela and Olivia.
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Together, we can achieve something remarkable