The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and four other high-profile oncology research programs recently formed the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium, newly launched by the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health. 

The Consortium was formed due to the lack of new drugs to treat pediatric cancer and the fact that many drugs that are used have been developed based on results of clinical trials in adults. 

CHOP’s research program within the Consortium will focus on neuroblastoma, and will be led by pediatric oncologist John M. Maris, MD, collaborating with co-investigators Edward Attiyeh, MD, Lori Hart, MD, and Mr. Matthew Tang.