Commonwealth Mesothelioma Alliance

The Commonwealth Mesothelioma Alliance (CMA) is cross-continent alliance dedicated to sharing expertise and directly supporting people impacted by asbestos-related disease. This is only made possible by the Biaggio Signorelli Foundation.

Four committed hearts, one united mission. When Mesothelioma UK, Asbestos and Dust Diseases Research Institute (ADDRI) and the Biaggio Signorelli Foundation came together at iMig 2023 in Lille France, the Commonwealth Mesothelioma Alliance was born. This ambitious partnership is dedicated to utilising and sharing expertise to directly support those impacted by asbestos-related diseases in Commonwealth countries. The Alliance is funded by the Biaggio Signorelli Foundation, which is committed to reducing asbestos-related disease in Australia and the world.

Our vision

The CMA is a cross-continent alliance that brings together expertise from Australia and the UK to improve care, awareness, and research for people across the Commonwealth living with mesothelioma – a devastating cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Each year, over 250,000 people worldwide die from asbestos-related diseases, with the UK and Australia experiencing the highest rates of mesothelioma. Many low- and middle-income countries remain at serious risk – lacking awareness, diagnostic capability and asbestos bans.

Through the CMA, we will open a corridor between Australia and the UK to share nursing expertise and research capabilities – and work together to build specialist health care capacity across the 56 countries that make up the Commonwealth.

We will do this by:

The power of the specialist nurse

Specialist nurse care is vital for people with mesothelioma due to their complex and often rapidly changing physical, emotional and practical needs.  Specialist nurses understand the unique experiences of those living with this rare and aggressive cancer — helping people understand their diagnosis and providing expert clinical care, tailored support and compassionate guidance.

Mesothelioma UK’s ‘tour de force’ is a team of nurses, based across the United Kingdom, who are highly skilled experts and dedicated to improving care, experience and outcomes for those living with mesothelioma, and their families.

Currently, Australia does not have one community specialist mesothelioma nurse.  Through the CMA we will seek to remedy that by establishing a dedicated Mesothelioma Nurse Model in Australia.

Specialist Lung Cancer Nurse Advisory Group

We have assembled a team of specialist lung cancer nurses from around Australia with experience in caring for patients with mesothelioma.  This group travelled to the UK in 2024 to learn on the ground from the Mesothelioma UK specialist nurses – to understand the model and modes of care to help shape, inform and adapt a model for our unique Australian landscape.

Expanding research opportunities

In August 2024, we were thrilled to host UK-based Professor Dean Fennell, a renowned expert in mesothelioma research, in Sydney.  He has designed and led numerous investigator-initiated trials from phase 1 through phase 3, placing him at the forefront of this critical field.

Through our alliance we are commencing collaborations between the UK and ADDRI to explore the potential for simultaneous clinical trials in both countries aiming to create new pathways for patients in both the UK and Australia.

International education and training

As the WHO Collaborating Centre, ADDRI delivers important clinical training to improve the diagnosis and treatment of asbestos-related diseases.  In August 2025, we assembled a specialist team to deliver this training in Cambodia, integrating a team from Mesothelioma UK to provide dedicated mesothelioma nurse training.

About Mesothelioma UK

Mesothelioma UK grew out of the National Health Service (NHS) and is a charity which focuses on meeting the needs of the 2700+ people diagnosed each year in the UK with mesothelioma.  Their ‘tour de force’ is a team of nurses, based across the country, each one embedded in the NHS and highly skilled experts in all matters relating to mesothelioma. These nurses are dedicated to improving care, experience, and outcomes for those living with mesothelioma.

Learn more about Mesothelioma UK here

About the Biaggio Signorelli Foundation

The Biaggio Signorelli Foundation was created after Biaggio Signorelli, founder of the Doltone House Group. He was an extraordinary man who was an Italian migrant of the mid 1950s and accomplished so much in a foreign land. His world changed when he was diagnosed with Mesothelioma in October 2007, and died eight months later.

The Foundation’s vision is to raise funds and create awareness, early detection, treatment and cure of Mesothelioma. The Foundation aims to provide donations of support for research into the asbestos related diseases as well as assistance to medical practitioners seeking to improve their knowledge and skills in this area of asbestos related diseases.

The Biaggio Signorelli Foundation has supported ADDRI since it opened and has committed over $1 million – in addition to the CMA – to support ADDRI’s work.  ADDRI proudly houses the Biaggio Signorelli Foundation Lab.

Learn more about the Biaggio Signorelli Foundation here