Global Collaboration in Prostate Cancer Research

Global Collaboration to Lead to Progress in Prostate Cancer Research

November 2010: So far, over 8,500 people in New Zealand and nearly half a million people globally are signed up to the high profile annual moustache growing campaign to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer and depression. Against this background, the Movember Foundation announced today the establishment of its inaugural Global Action Plan (GAP). Working alongside a team of leading prostate cancer experts from around the world, the GAP has been put in place to accelerate key outcomes in prostate cancer research.

In establishing the GAP, Movember is planning to support one large international research initiative each year that attracts the best prostate cancer researchers in the world, from both Movember and non Movember participating countries, to collaborate on tackling some of the key challenges that will help find better tests and treatment options for men affected by prostate cancer.

Movember’s vision is to have an everlasting impact on the state of men’s health and GAP will take an important step towards achieving this by facilitating global research collaboration projects. The GAP will sit alongside and complement existing programs run by Movember’s beneficiary partners around the world.

The key to this initiative is an agreement as ambitious as its goal: not just to fund collaborative global research, but also to share all data freely with the entire prostate cancer community and beyond. Each multi-million dollar project will be funded to achieve the key objectives, which will be accelerated by bringing together the best minds and resources around the globe to tackle the identified challenge.

Paul Villanti, Movember Chairman, says, “We firmly believe that implementing this plan will accelerate key outcomes in prostate cancer research globally. With our international reach we are uniquely placed to support this initiative and accelerate significant achievements that will impact the quality of men’s health around the world. Today, we run official campaigns in nine countries and through discussions with our prostate cancer beneficiary partners around the world, we identified an opportunity to achieve research breakthroughs faster by bringing together, as a team, prostate cancer experts from around the world to work co-operatively on key research challenges. The result has been the creation of our GAP initiative.”

The creation of Movember’s GAP will see a new and unprecedented level of global research collaboration, not previously seen within the prostate cancer community. Movember has appointed a Global Scientific Committee (GSC) to oversee the initiative. The Committee will be supported by an expert Research Advisory Committees established to oversee each research program, and by a dedicated Movember program manager.

The GSC comprises the very best prostate cancer experts from around the world, all of whom will advise Movember on priority international research initiatives in line with GAP’s goals. Movember is incredibly proud to be working with a group of such highly respected international experts who have an outstanding and proven track record in prostate cancer research. Further details and biographies of the GSC members can be found at http://nz.movemberfoundation.com/global-action-plan/

Movember and its beneficiary partners are excited and proud to be introducing the Movember GAP initiative. It’s recognised by all involved that a better diagnostic and prognostic tests and treatment options for prostate cancer is needed. Too many men are dying from the disease and too many men are being treated unnecessarily or inefficiently due to the limitations of current tests. GAP is aiming to accelerate significant achievements that will impact the quality of men’s health globally.

ENDS

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