Cancer Research UK and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) are launching a new international alliance dedicated to accelerating progress against cancer.
The overarching aim of the alliance is to “stimulate leading-edge discoveries in cancer research that will ultimately help to save lives from this complex disease,” according to the press release.
Both parties believe that progress against the disease could be fuelled by facilitating collaboration between cancer researchers, irrespective of where they are based, and so are planning to launch “a comprehensive portfolio of initiatives that will provide the cancer research community with a platform for building links between laboratories and clinics in the US and the UK”.
The alliance also intends to establish trans-Atlantic training and exchange programmes to catalyse scientific innovation and influence global research policy, it said.
The number of people diagnosed with cancer each year is expected to “rise dramatically” from 15.2 million in 2015 to 24 million in 2035 worldwide. “The AACR and CRUK believe that with the collective action of our two organisations we will have a major impact reversing this trajectory.”
“Developing this unique and special relationship with the AACR has the potential to open up new opportunities, drive innovation, and further enhance global research collaborations,” said Dr Iain Foulkes, executive director of research and innovation at Cancer Research UK.
