Midatech Pharma announced approval of the investigational new drug (IND) application from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a study of MTX110, an investigational nano-inclusion product, for the treatment of the fatal childhood brain cancer DIPG. This disease occurs mainly in young children and has a median survival of nine months. With no treatment currently approved, the approval of this trial could be a big step towards developing a treatment for this cancer. MTX110 was selected based on both independent and Midatech research that identified the active ingredient as the most potent compound of 83 tested against human DIPG tumour cells. Midatech has swiftly brought the compound from initial formulation stage at the end of 2015 to this clinical trial in 2018. The study will be conducted at leading treatment centres in UCSF in San Francisco, and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. It has also been provided on a compassionate use basis to patients and to date it has been well tolerated. This study is expected to read out towards the end of 2019 and, if successful, expedited approval will be sought from international regulators.