START, Together with HM Hospitales, Inaugurates Spain's First Pediatric Onco-hematology Clinical Research Unit

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New START site at HM Montepríncipe University Hospital offers clinical trial access for children with cancer

SAN ANTONIO and MADRID, Oct. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The START Center for Cancer Research ("START"), the world's largest community-based network specializing in early-phase oncology clinical trials, together with HM Hospitales, announces the launch of a pediatric onco-hematology clinical research unit at HM Montepríncipe University Hospital in Madrid. This START Pediatrics unit is the first pediatric clinical research center of its kind within Spain's private hospital sector and represents a unique opportunity to provide research options for children.

Cancer affects 400,000 new children each year worldwide, representing a serious global health crisis. This translates to approximately 1,000 new cases of childhood cancer every day.

This new START Pediatrics unit, developed in close collaboration with HM Hospitales and led by Dr. Marta Osuna Marco, combines START's global trial and emerging therapy expertise with a compassionate approach to care.

"This new unit couldn't be more aligned with our mission of delivering 'Hope Through Access'," said Nick Slack, MBE, Chairman and CEO of START. "To stand inside this unit and witness the courage of these young patients and the resilience of their families is profoundly humbling. It's a powerful reminder that innovation must be matched with compassion. With our global reach and clinical expertise, we're uniquely positioned to accelerate access to emerging therapies for children. This isn't just an expansion of our network—it's an expansion of our purpose."

The new unit at HM Montepríncipe University Hospital is purpose-built to support all phases of pediatric oncology clinical studies. It offers streamlined regulatory support to meet the unique requirements of pediatric trials, a dedicated pediatric research infrastructure, and a compassionate and mission driven staff committed to providing hope for children and their families.

"The launch of this unit at HM Montepríncipe University Hospital is one of the initiatives I'm most proud of," said Dr. Juan Abarca, President of HM Hospitales. "We now have the ability to offer innovative clinical trials to pediatric patients across Europe—just as we do for adults—providing an additional path of hope when standard treatments have been exhausted. This collaboration with START will allow us to bring research-driven care to hundreds of children with cancer each year, and to do so with excellence and compassion."

"Working with children facing cancer is both humbling and inspiring," said Dr. Marta Osuna Marco, pediatric oncologist and Principal Investigator at the new unit. "Being able to bring START's level of expertise and access to these patients is something I'm truly grateful for. Every day, we're giving families new hope—and now, with this initiative, we're also giving back to the research that will shape tomorrow's therapies."

"This milestone is the result of an extraordinary and long-standing collaboration," said Dr. Emiliano Calvo, clinical investigator and Director of Clinical Research at START Madrid-CIOCC and President of START in Europe. "We would like to extend special thanks to Dr. Blanca López-Ibor, Director of Pediatric Onco-hematology Area at HM Hospitales, and to Fundación HM Hospitales, for their vision and dedication, which, together with the START Madrid-HM CIOCC team, the Department of Oncopediatrics, and the leadership of HM Montepríncipe University Hospital, have made this initiative possible. What began as an ambitious project years ago has evolved into an essential and impactful clinical research program—one that will now benefit countless children and their families across Europe."

This unit was also made possible thanks to Fundación Nemesio Díez, a non-profit foundation whose contributions helped support the construction of the new facility. Their commitment to advancing care for children with cancer reflects the very spirit of this initiative—one built on collaboration, compassion, and purpose.

START Pediatrics builds on START's broader global network and continues its mission of delivering "Hope Through Access"—offering innovative treatments to patients who need them most. The new pediatric research program is a testament to that mission, expanding the scope of care and helping accelerate discovery of new therapeutic options.

About The START Center for Cancer Research

Deeply rooted in community oncology centers globally, The START Center for Cancer Research provides access to specialized preclinical and early-phase clinical trials of novel anti-cancer agents. START clinical trial sites have conducted more than 1,000 early-phase clinical trials, including for 45 therapies that were approved by the FDA or EMA. START represents the world's largest roster of early-phase principal investigators (PIs) across its 12 clinical trial sites. Committed to accelerating passage from trials to treatments, START delivers hope to patients, families, and physicians around the world. Learn more at STARTresearch.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

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SOURCE The START Center for Cancer Research