Twenty-six students from 13 countries graduated from NBCCF’s first International Clinical Trials Project LEAD®, held in Paris, December 3-6, 2008.  Translational Research in Oncology (TRIO), a renowned international research organization, was NBCCF’s partner in this effort.  It was an exciting and remarkable training of breast cancer advocates aimed at encouraging advocate involvement in research and clinical trials work around the world. 

Leading the teaching effort were several of the core Project LEAD faculty members, joined by prominent researchers from Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom to provide an international perspective.  The faculty included:  Kay Dickersin, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins University; Dennis Slamon, M.D., Ph.D., of UCLA; Ezekiel Emanuel, M.D., Ph.D., of NIH; Marc Buyse, Sc.D.,  of the International Drug Development Institute (IDDI); and Alan Morrison of Amgen.  The curriculum covered the purpose, design, and endpoints relevant to different phases of clinical trials, the fundamentals of the drug development process, the ethical issues associated with clinical trials, global advocacy strategies, and other topics. 

NBCCF hopes to be instrumental in catalyzing this process and plans to continue convening international Project LEAD trainings.