Joel coached physicians across the globe to speak to the media about Novartis’ break- through cancer drug, Gleevec. His sound bites were quoted in Time Magazine, on the front page of the Wall Street Journal and on international TV.

Background. Novartis didn’t expect – or want – 20/20 to do at national story about Gleevec before they were FDA approved. But 20/20 refused to wait. So Novartis scrambled to find the top communi- cations consultant in the country to quickly get their researchers ready for prime time. Joel Roberts got the job.

Joel’s challenge was to not only get research scientists and MDs comfortable talking to the media, but to frontload the emotional impact of Gleevec’s paradigm shifting discovery. For the first time ever, it was possible to get treated for cancer without crippling side effects. This was big news!

Joel crisscrossed the country, working with doctors from Sloan-Kettering to OHSU. The story broke on 20/20 and Joel’s sound bites landed on the cover of Time Magazine and in dozens of publications. Gleevec is one of science’s iconic breakthroughs to this day.