KWF believes that each patient deserves the treatment (s)he needs. While researchers have extensive knowledge of research, they don't always have the tools to translate research results from bench to bedside. We aim to equip researchers with the tools they need to translate their knowledge and develop cancer drugs for patients in need.

Tracks

Drug development

Currently, new cancer drugs which show clinical results, almost always depend on the pharmaceutical industry to bring them through all stages of development. This dependence on commercial parties is risky: promising cancer drugs may not reach the patient because profitable margins are too small or because consensus about the price cannot be reached.

Drug development consists of several stages and takes 10-15 years. Phase 2 and 3 trials are costly and are almost always conducted by the pharmaceutical industry. KWF wants more academically developed drugs to reach the final stages of development in a societally responsible manner free of commercial interests. KWF wants to support 1) the so-called academic-driven pharma trajectory in which drugs will be completely developed within academia, free of any commercial interests, and 2) commercial routes of drug development by de-risking academic innovations, by academia themselves or in partnerships, to make them suitable for transfer to commercial parties.

Drug repurposing

Drug repurposing enables existing cancer drugs to be used for a wider variety of cancers than originally indicated in the registration process and label of the drug. In this track we aim to fund research into new cancer indications of existing drugs, as well as improving the way in which these drugs reach the patient. Some examples of repurposing include the following:

• Application of (a combination of) existing drugs for new indications.
• Use of drugs whose development was halted in the development trajectory.
• Applications of drugs for which the patent has expired.
• Off-label use of drugs, monitoring treatment results and side effects.

Opportunities for funding

In 2023, KWF joined forces with international partners in the international theme call ATTRACT, with a focus on clinical drug development for rare cancers (including both new and repurposed drugs). In this call, 4 projects were awarded. More information here. ATTRACT recurs every two years. The current 2025 ATTRACT call closes in February 2025, the funding decision will be in November/December 2025.

In 2024, KWF opened the theme call PIPELINE, with a focus on clinical development of new drugs that originate from academic research. In this call, 3 projects were awarded. More information here. PIPELINE recurs every year. The 2025 PIPELINE call will open in the spring of 2025.

All upcoming and current funding opportunities can be found here: www.kwf.nl/calls