Multinational Clinical Trials Initiative

Find out how researchers in different countries can collaborate on global clinical trials that might not be feasible in a single country or with support from a single funder.

One of the first efforts of the Global Cardiovascular Research Funders Forum (GCRFF) is the Multinational Clinical Trials Initiative. Through this initiative, the GCRFF will facilitate the coordination of funding for international clinical trials. It will help researchers in different countries collaborate on plans and coordinate funding applications for ambitious global clinical trials that might not be feasible in a single country or with support from a single funder.

The initiative could see trials delivered faster, with more generalizable results. It could also make them more affordable for national research funders. Ultimately, this could lead to findings that save and improve the lives of people throughout the world.

Why Is This Important?

The GCRFF Multinational Clinical Trials Initiative is committed to promoting and facilitating international collaboration and coordination of cardiovascular clinical trials. It offers many advantages:

Better science. Clinical trial results are more generalizable to a broader population.
Faster implementation. Trials can be conducted much faster, and they can render stronger evidence.
More affordability. Sharing the financial burden can make global clinical trials more feasible.
Greater equity. The trials can lead to more equitable improvement in cardiovascular health globally.

Benefits to U.S. Investigators

Investigators who conduct multinational cardiovascular clinical trials can benefit from this collaboration in several ways.

Lead investigators. U.S. investigators can submit proposals as lead investigators rather than serving only as collaborators on trials led in other countries.
Coordinated funding. Investigators in each country collaborating on a trial can prepare coordinated, but individual applications to their country’s funding agencies for support for relevant components of the trial, knowing the funders are aware of their proposal and that the proposal has GCRFF’s endorsement.
Coordinated review. Trials have a better chance of beginning at or near the same time in different countries, making them more likely to succeed and have the results delivered in a timely fashion.
Better chances of funding success. By sharing the financial burden and decreasing the individual cost to national funders, projects may have a higher chance of obtaining funding.