MEMPHIS, Tenn. — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in downtown Memphis has been designated as a PedAL (pediatric acute leukemia) trial site by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
PedAL is a clinical trial that tests several targeted therapies for pediatric acute leukemia at the same time at hospitals across the world.
Multiple screening sites are already open in the U.S. and Canada, but St Jude became one of the first therapeutic sites involved in PedAL.
This means parents will be able to enroll children with acute leukemia in screening trials that will identify the most promising treatment. Once completed, the goal is to find treatments that are child-centric rather than those that are originally geared toward adults. That in turn will help experts create safer and more effective pediatric leukemia medicines.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is also partnering with the National Cancer Institute for the trials. More sites are set to open in 2022.