Dr. David Teachey appointed Chair of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Disease Committee in the Children’s Oncology Group

David Teachey, MD, attending physician and Distinguished Endowed Chair in the Department of Pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), has been appointed Chair of the Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) Disease Committee in the Children's Oncology Group (COG).

The COG is a National Cancer Institute-supported clinical trials group and the world's largest organization devoted exclusively to childhood and adolescent cancer research. The COG unites more than 10,000 experts in childhood cancer at more than 200 leading children's hospitals, universities, and cancer centers across North America, Australia and New Zealand.

In this role, Teachey, who is also a Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, will oversee numerous clinical trials and biology efforts. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common cancer in children. Accordingly, the COG ALL Disease Committee has a vast portfolio and a long-track record of making seminal discoveries, changing both the treatment and biologic understanding of childhood leukemia.

Currently, there are six open international phase 2 and phase 3 COG trials for children and young adults with ALL and more in development. As chair, Teachey will oversee the development and conduction of these trials that enroll over 2,000 children with ALL each year, including about 70% of US children and adolescents diagnosed with ALL. Most of these trials are testing new therapies with the hope of curing more patients or developing equally effective therapies with fewer short- and long-term side effects.

In parallel, there are dozens of correlative biology endeavors that use bone marrow and blood samples from children with ALL. This translational work has identified new targets for treatment, made novel insights into the disease biology of ALL, and tested the activity of new treatments in preclinical models in many labs, including those at CHOP and throughout North America.

Teachey specializes in both oncology and hematology, focusing on developing novel therapies and treating patients with ALL. He takes a "bench-to-bedside" approach and tests new therapies in his lab with the hope of bringing those therapies to the clinic.

"I am honored to accept the appointment of the COG leadership position," said Teachey. "I look forward to collaborating with experts across COG institutions to initiate new clinical trials and support innovative therapies for children with ALL. Curing more children with cancer takes a village, including a large team of doctors, scientists, nurses, research coordinators and operational specialists, regulatory experts, statisticians, protocol writers, patient advocates, and pharmacists. I am fortunate to work with many great colleagues in all these areas through the COG ALL Disease Committee. It is an absolute privilege to be part of this team."

For more information about the Children's Oncology Group, visit https://childrensoncologygroup.org/.