Wednesday, January 21, 2026 The Breast International Group (BIG) informs its community and supporters of an important organisational development. After over 25 years of dedicated work, and despite exploring every possible avenue to ensure long-term sustainability, BIG now faces financial constraints that can no longer be overcome. As a result, the organisation will begin a gradual wind-down of its activities, with closure expected by the end of 2026. The Breast International Group (BIG-aisbl), a leading global non-profit network with headquarters (HQ) in Brussels, announces that after more than 25 years dedicated to breast cancer research, it can no longer operate as a self-sustaining organisation. This is a significant setback for patient-centred academic research and underscores the financial and economic pressures threatening independent research worldwide.BackgroundDuring recent years, BIG has faced increasing financial pressure linked to a difficult local and global economic climate, geopolitical instability, reduced availability of grants and subsidies, declining study-related income, lower fundraising returns, decreased interest income, and growing competition from commercial actors. These factors have significantly affected BIG’s ability to sustain its operational activities.After exploring multiple options to secure BIG’s future, the Executive Board (EB) concluded that no viable solution existed to address its financial challenges. In accordance with Belgian law, the EB decided on 2 December 2025 to initiate collective redundancies and close BIG by the end of 2026. Full press release >
