Horizon Europe · Cancer Mission

Advancing safer therapies for children with high-risk cancers

PHOENIX unites paediatric care, research, industry and patient groups to develop safer, more effective treatments for children with relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma and other solid tumours.

A child wearing a yellow childhood cancer awareness ribbon
A child playing hopscotch in a brightly coloured playground
Children lying on the floor, laughing and playing with confetti

About

Every year, thousands of children across Europe are diagnosed with aggressive solid tumours. While significant progress has been made in childhood cancer treatment, many patients with relapsed or treatment-resistant disease still face limited therapeutic options.

PHOENIX brings together leading European hospitals, research organisations, universities, industry and patient-focused partners to accelerate the development of innovative therapies that improve outcomes while reducing the long-term impact of treatment for children and adolescents with cancer.

Mosaic of PHOENIX brand shapes and photos of smiling children

“Children deserve treatments that not only save their lives, but also protect their future.”

PHOENIX Approach

PHOENIX combines clinical research, innovation and personalised medicine to develop new therapeutic options for children with high-risk cancers. The project will:

Clinical trial

Conduct the first Phase I/II paediatric clinical trial of ibrilatazar.

Combination therapy

Evaluate the drug alone and combined with chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Child-friendly formulation

Develop a child-friendly oral formulation to improve treatment adherence.

Personalised medicine

Integrate biomarker discovery and liquid biopsy to support personalised medicine.

Equitable access

Investigate social and healthcare barriers to innovative cancer treatments.

Future standards of care

Generate evidence to improve future standards of care for paediatric oncology.

Latest News

Visual of the event 5 Years EU Cancer Mission: Stronger Through Connection, The Egg, Brussels
Event
29 Sep – 1 Oct 2026
·
Brussels, Belgium

5 Years EU Cancer Mission: Stronger Through Connection

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5 Years EU Cancer Mission: Stronger Through Connection
Consortium partners of the PHOENIX project during the kick-off meeting in Barcelona, June 2026
News
16 June 2026

New European project PHOENIX launches to develop safer treatments for children with high-risk cancer

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New European project PHOENIX launches to develop safer treatments for children with high-risk cancer

Partners

A consortium of 13 partners from across Europe: hospitals, research institutes, universities, industry and patient organisations.

Vall d'Hebron Research Institute logo
AbilityPharma logo
ECRIN logo
SHINE 2Europe logo
Fundación Hospital Niño Jesús logo
Gustave Roussy logo
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Children's Health Ireland logo
University Hospital Brno logo
Institut Curie logo
Global Health Connector logo
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CRIS Contra el Cáncer logo