The START Center for Cancer Research (START), the world’s largest global network of dedicated early-phase oncology clinical trial sites, has entered into a strategic partnership with Istituti Fisioterapici Ospitalieri (IFO), a public research hospital organisation in Rome, to establish a new early-phase clinical trial site at the Regina Elena National Cancer Institute in Italy.

The collaboration aims to expand access to novel investigational cancer therapies for eligible patients in Rome, the Lazio region and across Italy by bringing early-phase clinical research closer to established oncology care settings.

Recognised by the Italian Ministry of Health as an Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Regina Elena National Cancer Institute provides cancer diagnosis, treatment and research services. Its expertise spans major adult solid tumours, haematological malignancies and rare cancers. IFO also manages the San Gallicano Dermatological Institute, which specialises in dermatological diseases.

According to the 2025 edition of the national report, I numeri del cancro in Italia, produced by AIOM and partner organisations, Italy records approximately 390,000 new cancer diagnoses annually. Despite this significant disease burden and the presence of established research institutions, the country has comparatively fewer clinical trials relative to its population than several major Western European markets.

The partnership seeks to address this gap by combining START’s expertise in early-phase oncology trials with IFO’s clinical and translational research capabilities. The Rome facility will mark START’s first clinical trial site in Italy, extending its global network into a key European oncology market.

Commenting on the partnership, Nick Slack, MBE, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, START, said that Italy has a substantial cancer burden and world-class healthcare institutions, but clinical trial activity relative to its population remains lower than in several major European markets.

He added that the collaboration with IFO and Regina Elena National Cancer Institute would help bring early-phase oncology research closer to patients across Italy while advancing START’s mission of providing access to innovative cancer treatments.

With more than 1,000 early-phase clinical trials conducted across its sites, START has contributed to the development of 50 therapies subsequently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The organisation focuses on providing access to specialised preclinical and early-phase clinical trials of investigational anti-cancer therapies through its network of community oncology centres.