Last night, the family of a youngster who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) two years ago said they welcomed the new drug trial.

Eight-year-old Ben Charlton, of Rowlands Gill in Gateshead, is responding well to treatment and only has a year left of his chemotherapy to go.

There is a slim chance his condition could return in the future and, if so, the AT9283 drug would hopefully offer optimism to him and his parents Lynn Johnson and David Charlton.

Lynn, 35, said: “It’s fantastic news that another treatment could be available in the future if the traditional options don’t work – it’s very reassuring to know.

“It’s also great that money is being invested into looking at new drugs for children with leukaemia and it just goes to show how the North East is leading the way in the fight against the condition.”

Around 1,500 children are diagnosed with cancer each year in the UK, with leukaemia, the most common childhood cancer accounting for around a third 31% of all cases.

The trial is funded, managed and sponsored by the Cancer Research UK’s Drug Development Office and the drug is provided by Astex Pharmaceuticals.

Dr Nigel Blackburn, director of drug development at the cancer charity, said: “We’ve made amazing progress in the treatment of childhood cancers.

“In the 1960s, only around a quarter of children with cancer survived. Today, three-quarters survive. But there is much more to do.

“There’s an urgent need to develop new treatments for young people with leukaemia. The launch of this first trial of a completely new treatment for childhood leukaemia is incredible news and we’ll be watching the results with great interest.”

Cancer Research UK spent nearly £9m last year on research into children’s cancers.

For more information on the trial, visit www.cancerhelp.org.uk or call the Cancer Research UK cancer information nurses on 0808 800 4040.