The Research Institute
The GBG as research institute
The GBG Forschungs GmbH was founded in April 2003 as a professional research institute by Professor Gunter von Minckwitz in order to give the German Breast Group a platform for the implementation of academic oriented clinical trials.
The previous organisation of our study group, the German Adjuvant Breast Cancer Group (GABG) e.V. already had a long tradition in the conduct of adjuvant trials, but did not have the infrastructure at its disposal or a suitable legal entity to suffice the current demands of clinical research. This step of re-organisation was very beneficial to our research work and indeed the annual recruitment of new participants of trials could be increased 10-fold.
We consider ourselves to be independent, academically oriented and neutral. Our emphasis lies in the so-called investigator initiated trials. These are clinical studies, the concepts of which originate from the practical involvement of scientifically active doctors. We hereby aim at a continuing improvement in the treatment of breast cancer and an enhancement of the quality of therapy covering a wide scale. Approval aspects as in industry initiated trials are of minor significance in our study concepts. Contrary to Contract Research Organisations (CROs), as an Academic Research Organisation (ARO), the GBG Forschungs GmbH does not carry out sole contract research work.
The advance financing of our research projects takes place predominantly through the sale of subsequent usage rights to the trial results. We are able to finance translational research projects predominantly through public funding and foundations. When writing the trial protocols, compiling the data bank, evaluating the clinical data and publishing the study results, we follow the principles of international academic study groups and carry these out independently both in our research institute and in the subboards of the German Breast Group without however, direct access on the part of the pharmaceutical industry.
Up to now, the GBG Forschungs GmbH has clinical data of over 20,000 breast cancer patients who have participated in our trials. Hence we represent the leading research body in the breast cancer field in Germany.
Bei der Studiendurchführung kann die GBG Forschungs GmbH folgende Aufgaben erfüllen:
- Idee und Studienkonzeptionierung
- Klinisches Projektmanagement
- Klinisches Monitoring
- Data Management
- Biometrie und Statistik
- Externe Dokumentation
- Translationale Forschung
- Pathologisches Zentrallabor
- Medizinische Fortbildung
- Medical Writing
- Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
- Sponsorschaft
- Event Management