COG’s Pediatric Early Phase-Clinical Trials Network (PEP-CTN) studies the most promising new treatments. By identifying safe new treatments with early signs that a treatment is working, PEP-CTN helps determine which therapies should advance into larger clinical trials across the COG network.
The Pediatric Early Phase-Clinical Trial Network (PEP-CTN) conducts early phase clinical trials to identify and evaluate new cancer treatments for children and adolescents. Studying how drugs behave in the body enables researchers to develop new and innovative treatments and accelerate new therapies for children with leukemia, solid tumors and brain tumors.
The network includes 42 Children’s Oncology Group (COG) hospitals and research institutions in the United States, Canada, and Australia, selected through a rigorous peer review process. PEP-CTN works closely with COG disease committees, COG leadership, National Cancer Institute (NCI) leadership, and industry partners to advance new therapies into larger trials across COG’s network.
PEP-CTN advances new treatments for children with cancer by determining which therapies are ready to move forward. Early phase trials generate essential data that shapes future research, supports regulatory decisions, and expands the tools available to clinicians. Evaluating therapies across multiple cancer types helps identify which treatments should move forward into broader clinical use.
PEP-CTN leverages COG’s infrastructure and resources while maintaining an independent operational infrastructure. This model supports the rapid development, implementation, and reporting of specialized and complex early phase clinical trials.
The network employs translational biology, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacogenetics studies, along with systems for centralized imaging review and analysis, to better understand how new treatments work in the body.
PEP-CTN investigators have in-depth experience designing and conducting early phase clinical trials for children and adolescents, with the ability to efficiently enroll participants and generate data that supports regulatory decision-making.
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COG produces peer-reviewed publications that report the results of COG research. These publications demonstrate COG’s value to the scientific community, advance the COG mission through the dissemination of research findings, and strengthen collaboration among COG members.
PEP-CTN receives most of its funding from the NCI’s UM1 grant program, with additional support from other grants and philanthropic contributions. This funding enables the network to develop early phase trials that may not otherwise move forward.
Ongoing philanthropic support closes critical funding gaps in early-stage pediatric cancer research, enabling new treatments to be evaluated for children and adolescents with cancer.
PEP-CTN conducts clinical trials at sites across the United States, Canada, and Australia, expanding access to early phase research for children and adolescents in a wide range of care settings. Participating institutions are selected for their expertise in pediatric cancer care and clinical research, including the ability to conduct complex early phase studies.
This distributed network allows patients to enroll in trials closer to home while enabling researchers to study new therapies across diverse populations and cancer types.