ATLAS project by National Cancer Center, Japan

15/04/2026

🌏 Visit to APO by Officials from Japan – April 2026
On April 8, 2026, APO received a visit from officials of Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Embassy of Japan in Thailand.
The visitors included Dr. Ezoe, Senior Assistant Minister for Global Health, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW); Ms. Yoneda, Deputy Director for Global Health, International Affairs Division, MHLW; and Mr. Kobayashi, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Thailand.

💡 Visit Overview:
They met with Mr. Sagara, General Manager, Asian Partnerships Office, for an in-person exchange on ongoing international collaboration activities. During the meeting, Mr. Sagara presented an overview of the ATLAS Project and its global research framework.

🧪 Participation from NCC:
From the National Cancer Center, Japan (NCC), Dr. Nakamura, Director of the International Clinical Development, and Dr. Terada, Head of the Asian Partnerships Section, joined the meeting online, contributing to the discussion on international clinical research collaboration.

🤝 Discussion and Exchange:
Participants discussed opportunities to further enhance cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region and exchanged views on future directions in global clinical research.

📌 Closing Remarks:
We sincerely appreciate the visit and the constructive discussions. The ATLAS Project will continue to work with government and international partners to advance global cancer research.


🌏 日本政府関係者によるAPO訪問（2026年4月8日）
2026年4月8日、日本の厚生労働省大臣官房の江副交渉官、国際課の米田専門官（Deputy Director for Global Health, International Affairs Division, MHLW）、在タイ日本大使館の小林一等書記官がAPOを訪問されました。APOでは相樂所長（General Manager, Asian Partnerships Office）が対応し、国立がん研究センター（NCC）からは中村国際開発部門長、寺田アジア連携推進室長がオンラインで参加しました。

💡【訪問の概要】
相樂所長よりATLASプロジェクトの概要説明が行われ、国際共同研究の推進や今後の連携可能性について意見交換が行われました。

🧪【NCCの参加】
国立がん研究センター（NCC）からは中村国際開発部門長、寺田アジア連携推進室長がオンラインで参加し、国際共同研究に関する議論に加わりました。

🤝【意見交換】
アジア太平洋地域における研究連携の強化や今後の協力の方向性について、建設的な議論が行われました。

📌【まとめ】
ご訪問および有意義なご議論に感謝申し上げます。ATLASプロジェクトは今後も国際連携を通じて、がん研究の発展に貢献してまいります。
#国立がん研究センター #国際共同研究 #がん研究

14/04/2026

🌟"ATLAS Monthly Webinar" series🌟
We are excited to announce the ATLAS Monthly Webinar!
This seminar series aims to share the latest advancements in cancer research, and treatment, this is a new challenge for ATLAS!
We look forward to your participation😊
【Session Topics】Immunotherapy in treatment of locally advanced SCCHN – current paradigms and unmet needs

【Registration】🌐 https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hnTaWA56T_mFYr2fVqJBOQ

Date: April 24th, 2026
Time:
– Thailand, Vietnam 16:00-17:00
– Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan 17:00–18:00
– Japan, Korea 18:00-19:00

🎙️Speaker
Dr. Kao Hsiang Fong
(National Taiwan University Hospital, Taiwan)
Title: Current Status and Future Directions of Combination Therapy in HNSCC: Strategic Optimization in Locally-Advanced and Recurrent or Metastatic Disease

Dr. N Gopalakrishna Iyer
(National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore)
Title: Perioperative immunotherapy in head and neck cancer – hope or hype

-Facilitator-
・Dr. Mitsumi Terada
National Cancer Center, Japan

ATLAS ウェビナーについてお知らせします！
このセミナーシリーズは、がん研究と治療における最新の進歩を共有することを目的としており、ATLASプロジェクトの新たな挑戦となります！
皆様のご参加をお待ちしております😊

06/04/2026

We are pleased to share that Dr. Kenichi Nakamura from the International Development Department at NCCHJ was recently featured in an interview with PharmaBoardroom. The article highlights key initiatives such as ATLAS (Asian Clinical Trial Network) and EMSEMBLExJ (One-Stop Service for International Joint Clinical Trials). We invite you to take a look.
https://pharmaboardroom.com/interviews/kenichi-nakamura-director-department-of-international-clinical-development-national-cancer-center-hospital-japan/

国立がん研究センター中央病院の国際開発部門の中村健一医師が、PharmaBoardroomから取材を受けました。その記事をご紹介いたします。 ATLAS（アジア臨床試験ネットワーク）や、EMSEMBLExJ（国際共同治験ワンストップ事業）についての記事が記載されているのでご覧ください。

Asia is emerging as a critical frontier in oncology research, yet much of global drug development continues to overlook the region’s specific clinical needs. At the National Cancer Center Japan, Kenichi Nakamura is working to change that dynamic through ATLAS, a pan-Asian clinical trial network de...

01/04/2026

We successfully held the ATLAS Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Group (HBPG) Meeting on 27 March in Japan, bringing together investigators and collaborators for productive and insightful discussions.
The meeting provided a valuable opportunity to review and discuss the current status of two international investigator-initiated trials (IITs) under consideration, as well as to share updates on retrospective and prospective studies across participating sites. These discussions enabled valuable scientific exchange, alignment on study objectives, next steps, and identification of opportunities to further strengthen collaboration within the ATLAS network.
We sincerely appreciate the active participation and meaningful contributions from all attendees, which made the meeting highly impactful for the group!
We look forward to continuing our joint efforts and advancing our work together through this strong international partnership.

31/03/2026

On 27 March, we successfully held the STRAP Investigators’ Meeting in Yokohama, Japan, with the participation of investigators and supporting members.
The STRAP Trial is a multi-country investigator-initiated trial (IIT) conducted under the ATLAS collaboration, bringing together experts from across regions. The meeting provided a valuable opportunity to connect in person, exchange perspectives, and further strengthen our collaborative efforts.
We look forward to continued progress through this strong international partnership and to establishing an efficient structure that can be expanded to support larger collaborations.

30/03/2026

Dr. Mitsumi Terada participated in the 2026 World Immunotherapy Council Asia-Pacific Conference, held in conjunction with the TSITC Annual Meeting and TOS Spring Summit in Taipei, Taiwan.
On 28 March 2026, he delivered a presentation on ATLAS, highlighting its role in advancing oncology collaboration and research across the Asia-Pacific region.

26/03/2026

Dr. Mel Valerie C. Ordinario (St. Luke's Medical Center, Philippines) presented findings from the A-TRAIN study at JSMO 2026, focusing on the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cohort.

The presentation, titled “Genomic Landscape of Circulating Tumor DNA in Triple Negative Breast Cancer in Asia: NCCH1905/A-TRAIN study,” highlighted important insights into ctDNA profiles in Asian TNBC patients.

The session generated significant interest, with many engaging questions from the audience, leading to a highly productive and meaningful discussion.

Dr. Mel Valerie C. Ordinario（St. Luke's Medical Center, Philippines）が、JSMO 2026にてA-TRAIN研究のトリプルネガティブ乳がん（TNBC）コホートに関する発表を行いました。演題は「Genomic Landscape of Circulating Tumor DNA in Triple Negative Breast Cancer in Asia: NCCH1905/A-TRAIN study」です。発表では多くの参加者から活発な質問が寄せられ、実りある有意義なディスカッションにつながりました。

26/03/2026

[ATLAS Meeting Yokohama]
ATLAS Board Meeting

The ATLAS Board Meeting was held in a hybrid format, bringing together board members both onsite and online.
During the meeting, members engaged in productive discussions on the future direction and upcoming activities of the ATLAS project.

Through collaborative dialogue, the board reaffirmed its commitment to advancing ATLAS initiatives and strengthening its impact moving forward.

26/03/2026

[ATLAS Meeting Yokohama]
ENT congress in collaboration with ATLAS

We were honored to welcome
Dr. Philip Rajan Devesahayam (Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Malaysia) and
Dr. Maithrea Suresh Narayanan (Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).

We engaged in productive and forward-looking discussions on future activities.

25/03/2026

On March 19, 2026, we visited Dr. Ekaphop Sirachainan and Dr. Thitiya Dejthevaporn at Ramathibodi Hospital to inform them of the leadership transition at APO.

We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to share this important update and look forward to further strengthening our collaboration.

2026年3月19日、Ramathibodi HospitalのDr. Ekaphop SirachainanおよびDr. Thitiya Dejthevapornを訪問し、APOの所長交代についてご報告いたしました。

このような機会をいただきましたことに感謝申し上げるとともに、今後のさらなる連携強化を期待しております。

24/03/2026

We were honored to welcome Dr. Jun Kitahara, Head of the PMDA Asia Office, and Dr. Shinichi Noda, Head-designate of the PMDA Asia Office, to APO on March 18, 2026.

Following the visit to APO, we visited together to SICRES and had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Pongsakorn Tantilipikorn and Ms. Pornsuda Nipathakosol.

This was a valuable opportunity for newly appointed leaders to connect, and we look forward to strengthening our collaboration moving forward.

2026年3月18日、PMDAアジア事務所の北原所長と次期所長の野田様をAPOにお迎えしました。

その後、皆さまとご一緒にSICRESを訪問し、Dr. Pongsakorn Tantilipikorn、Ms. Pornsuda Nipathakosolにご挨拶しました。

新たなリーダー同士が交流する貴重な機会となり、今後のさらなる連携強化が期待されます。

23/03/2026

On March 18, 2026, we visited Dr. Suebpong Tanasanvimon at Chulalongkorn University Hospital to inform him of the leadership transition at APO.

We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to share this important update and look forward to continued collaboration.

2026年3月18日、Chulalongkorn University HospitalのDr. Suebpong Tanasanvimonを訪問し、APOの所長交代についてご報告いたしました。

このような機会をいただきましたことに感謝申し上げるとともに、今後のさらなる連携強化を期待しております。