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Joining a Europe-wide alliance to scale-up research on rare and hard-to-treat cancers

infographic of 11 countries in FORCE-initiative

Brussels – The Anticancer Fund is stepping into FORCE (Fostering Rare Cancer Research Excellence), a €3,35-million, four-year programme that unites 14 non-profit organisations from 11 European countries. Together we will build a coordinated research strategy for cancers that currently have few—or no—proven treatments.

By collaborating in the FORCE programme, fully aligned with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, the Anticancer Fund underscores its role as a driving force for large-scale, patient-centred trials.

What will FORCE do?
  • Develop a programme to support multinational, pragmatic clinical trials that are large enough to give clear and trustworthy results: the consortium will launch 2 calls for applications to researchers.
  • Create a sustainable funding model, designed and tested by non-profit organisations, which will be recommended to the European Commission for future adoption.
  • Pool European strengths: FORCE stems from the European Commission’s desire to promote clinical research for the benefit of patients with rare or poor-prognosis cancers, and for the first time, to entrust this mission to a network of exclusively charitable actors.
Why this matters

The challenges versus the FORCE solutions:

Unmet medical need: rare cancers cause 1 in 4 cancer deaths, yet most have no approved standard therapy. The FORCE initiative will launch trials focused on real patient priorities.

Scattered expertise: knowledge and patient numbers are spread across Europe, making rigorous clinical trials difficult. The FORCE partners will make it possible to conduct clinical trials across Europe.

Why the Anticancer Fund is on board
  • Cross-border experience: We already participate in complex international research projects. FORCE scales this up.
  • Proven track record in evidence-based innovation: we design and fund clinical trials that fill urgent treatment gaps.
  • Neutral, patient-driven perspective: as an independent foundation, our only goal is better outcomes for patients.

“Every person with a rare or a difficult-to-treat cancer deserves a proven, evidence-based treatment path. By joining FORCE we’re turning isolated efforts into a united front—and bringing new options to patients faster”, says Rica Capistrano, Director New Projects of the Anticancer Fund.

 

FORCE partners
  1. Fondation ARC pour la recherche sur le cancer (FR)
  2. Fundación Científica de la Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (ES)
  3. Anticancer Fund (BE)
  4. Kom op tegen Kanker (BE)
  5. Dutch Cancer Society (NL)
  6. The Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund (SE)
  7. Swedish Cancer Society (SE)
  8. The Saving Kids with Cancer Foundation (PL)
  9. Latvian Children’s Oncology Foundation (LV)
  10. Fondazione AIRC per la ricerca sul cancro (IT)
  11. Breakthrough Cancer Research (IE)
  12. Irish Cancer Society (IE)
  13. Hellenic Cancer Society (GR)
  14. Hungarian League Against Cancer (HU)