Olivia Fund collaboration

The Belgian Olivia Fund and the Dutch Romo Foundation have signed a cooperation agreement to work more closely together on a project basis. Both organizations share the same mission: to improve the survival rates of children with cancer and reduce unnecessary suffering by accelerating medical advances. In addition to financial support, knowledge sharing and strategic discussions are central to their equal partnership.

The first joint initiative is the Teardrop project, which stands for "Team Early Drug Development in Pediatric Oncology." This project, which started in 2020 and runs until 2028, focuses on developing a modern, dynamic biobank and reducing the distance between hospitals and researchers. Although academic hospitals in Ghent, Antwerp and Leuven are already closely involved, the project aims to eventually help all children with cancer in Belgium. In addition, the project offers a unique opportunity to make new patient material available for pioneering national and international research on pediatric cancer.

"We are very pleased with this partnership with Romo Foundation," said Ilse de Reze, president of Olivia Fund. "Romo Foundation brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of pediatric oncology, which adds tremendous value to our mission." Michel Rudolphie, Romo Foundation Foundation director, shares this enthusiasm: "For 25 years, the Olivia Fund has been committed to stimulating and supporting scientific pediatric oncology research in Belgium. An efficient approach requires concentration of efforts and cooperation across research centers. The Teardrop project is a wonderful example of this."

The Olivia Fund(www.olivia.be) is committed to improving the survival rates of children with cancer by supporting innovative research. The Romo Foundation (www.romo-foundation.com) seeks to accelerate medical advances by better aligning research, innovations and funding.

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Learn more about Teardrop: https://www.crig.ugent.be/sites/default/files/inline-files/TEARDRoP%20poster%20Mrt2025.pdf

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