ANZUP: Securing Patient Data and Global Collaboration

ANZUP – Securing Patient Data and Global Collaboration

When it comes to cancer research, data isn’t just information - it represents patient lives, the trust they place in science and the future of lifesaving treatments.

For the Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate Cancer Trials Group (ANZUP), the stakes are high. The group runs clinical trials into below-the-belt cancers across Australia and beyond, driven by its vision of a life without fear of cancer. Each trial generates sensitive genomic reports, patient data and research insights that must be shared securely with clinicians, statisticians and international collaborators.

Traditional methods like email or institution-bound platforms were no longer secure enough. ANZUP needed a solution that not only allowed external collaboration but also supported patient confidentiality, upheld GDPR requirements and satisfied Australia’s strict data sovereignty laws. That’s when Com-X stepped in with Progress ShareFile software.

Business Challenges

Clinical trials involve sensitive genomic reports and patient data that needed to be transmitted securely between clinicians, research teams and international collaborators

Increasing regulatory scrutiny around patient confidentiality, GDPR and Australian data sovereignty laws made traditional collaboration methods - like unsecured email and SharePoint - unfit for purpose and increased the risk for data breaches

Large-scale events, such as the APAC Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference, required sharing large medical images and videos without file size restrictions

Firewalls and institutional IT policies sometimes blocked existing platforms like SharePoint, disrupting secure external collaboration.

For ANZUP, whose role is not only scientific but custodial, the solution had to be secure and reliable.

“We wanted to provide genomic reports to clinicians and research teams in a safe, secure and encrypted manner, rather than a standard email approach. The importance of the information meant we couldn’t risk data breaches.”

Thomas Cusick, Senior Clinical Trials Project Manager and Data Custodian, ANZUP

The Com-X Solution

Working closely with ANZUP, Com-X delivered a secure file-sharing and external collaboration environment powered by Progress ShareFile software. Purpose-built for organisations that handle sensitive information, the solution gave ANZUP:

• End-to-end encryption for both transfer and storage of sensitive Protected Health Information (PHI)
• Role-based access and permissions, which helped clinicians, statisticians and third-party contractors only access what was necessary
• Detailed audit trails that tracked who accessed, downloaded or modified files - providing confidence and compliance
• Data sovereignty with local servers hosted in Australia, supported regulatory compliance without compromise
• Web-based, user-friendly access removing IT barriers for hospitals and international partners.

Implementation was seamless. Within two weeks, ANZUP had ShareFile features fully operational, with onboarding and training completed across its current clinical trial teams in Australia and the Netherlands.

"We knew data sovereignty and GDPR compliance were non-negotiable for ANZUP. Our approach was to deliver a solution that gave them full control over permissions, visibility, and security – while keeping it simple for users." 

Nick Cross, Director – Sales and Marketing, Com-X

Enhancing the User Experience

The benefits went beyond promoting compliance. For clinicians in the Netherlands, receiving an encrypted genomic report reinforced its importance. For researchers, secure external collaboration became frictionless, regardless of institutional IT restrictions.

During an important conference, ANZUP relied on ShareFile tools to keep things running smoothly. While SharePoint was undergoing a planned migration, every file hosted with ShareFile software remained accessible - allowing the event to continue without disruption.

Outcomes That Matter

By adopting Progress ShareFile software, ANZUP has achieved:

• Enhanced cybersecurity for safeguarding patient data and supporting compliance with GDPR, ISO standards and ICH-GCP E6R3 guidelines
• Business continuity with uninterrupted access to critical patient data during outages
• Time savings thanks to rapid deployment and faster, secure external collaboration across hospitals and countries
• Cost efficiencies by eliminating the need to build and maintain bespoke IT workarounds and fragmented solutions
• Peace of mind from knowing that sensitive clinical patient data is in the right hands, every time

For ANZUP, Progress ShareFile technology provides more than an intuitive platform- it’s a foundation for trust. It supports patient confidentiality, facilitates international collaboration and helps drive the kind of research that changes lives.

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About ANZUP Cancer Trials Group

ANZUP is the leading cancer-cooperative clinical trials group that brings together all of the professional disciplines and groups involved in researching and treating urogenital cancers and conduct high quality cancer research. ANZUP identifies gaps in evidence and areas of clinical need, collaborates with the best clinicians and researchers in genitourinary cancer and communicates frequently and effectively with the broader community along the way. ANZUP receives valuable infrastructure support from the Australian Government through Cancer Australia.

About Progress ShareFile Software

ShareFile, now part of Progress, is where simplicity meets efficiency. The user-friendly technology streamlines document and client-facing workflows. By delivering more optimization and collaboration, our software helps you provide a consistent digitised experience for clients and focus on work that matters. With our extensive encryption and security features, you don’t have to sacrifice data protection for more productivity.

About Com-X

Com-X is Australia’s leading digital workspaces and cyber security specialist, supplying government and enterprise organisations with solutions that drive compliance, efficiency and resilience. Our expertise includes secure digital workspaces, Essential 8 cyber security maturity, SASE and Zero Trust architectures, endpoint protection, data governance and workflow automation. Combining technical excellence with a deep understanding of organisational challenges,
Com-X helps clients modernise, safeguard operations and embrace future technologies with confidence.