The Internal Call for Innovation Project in Clinical Trials Methodology in Limited Populations has been launched on December 7, 2020. The call is open to EJP RD beneficiaries and their linked third parties.

The innovation methodologies topics particularly include (but are not limited to):
· Development of a disease progression model from a natural history cohort or other observational studies.

· Development and validation of a disease specific clinically meaningful outcome with special interest in PCOMs, or composite endpoints.

· Development of a design and analysis procedure for a pharmacometric model and/or bridging study.

· Development of a randomization-based model as an alternative analysis strategy and explore the level of evidence.

The call aims to encourage collaborations among groups of experts consisting of different stakeholders including methodological experts, clinicians, patients and industry (when relevant) who will jointly develop innovative ready-to-use methods to enhance RD clinical trial methodologies.

TIMELINE

• 11 January 2021: A networking meeting will be held to consolidate the collaborative networks.

• 3 March 2021: Foreseen call closing deadline

To get more information click here: https://www.ejprarediseases.org/index.php/ongoing-calls/innovation-project/

 

The Endo-ERN newsletter November 2020 is out now!

Read more about the upcoming & recording Endo-ERN webinars, New MTG8 chairs, Launch of Exchange Programme for healthcare professionals in European Reference Networks, The ERICA Project and much more.

The newsletter can be found here.

Knowledge sharing and stimulating collaboration between health care professionals in European Reference Networks (ERN). That is the aim of the Exchange Programme 2020-2022, funded by the European Commission. In the coming two years, three different rounds of exchanges will take place between professionals of HealthCare Providers that are member of an ERN. The first round of visits will start in March 2021.

The objective of the ERN Exchange Programme is to palliate disparities in specific knowledge or gaps in expertise by facilitating the arrival of high-level expertise in a considerable number of diseases to a big number of Healthcare Providers.

Ecorys Ltd will provide services to all European Reference Networks in the framework of the Exchange Programme of the European Commission.

More information on the Exchange Programme will follow soon.

The European Rare disease research Coordination and support Action (ERICA) Project received a positive evaluation for a H2020 grant of 2.3 million to establish a structural framework in support of the research activities of the ERNs.

ERICA will strengthen research and innovation capacity by integration of ERN research activities, outreach to European research infrastructures to synergistically increase impact and Innovation. This will result in safe, accessible and efficient access of therapies for the benefit of patients suffering from rare diseases and Conditions.

Rare diseases

Rare diseases are defined as diseases that affect not more than 1 person per 2000 in the European population. However, while individual rare diseases affect only a small percentage of the population, they collectively affect up to 30 million people in the EU.

A great deal of research into rare diseases is carried out at LUMC. The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), has recognised 40 centres of expertise in the field of rare diseases.

European Reference Networks

In 2017, 24 European Reference Networks (ERNs) were established by the European Commission. The aim of these networks is to facilitate access to high-quality cross-border healthcare and to promote cooperation on healthcare for rare diseases between Member States.

The ERICA project builds on the strength of these individual ERNs by promoting inter-ERN research activities and by establishing close partnerships with existing European and international infrastructures and consortia involved in research and innovation in the field of rare diseases.

The ERICA Consortium consists of 29 partners, amongst which all 24 ERNs, EURORDIS, the EJP RD, Orphanet, Mapi Trust Research, and EATRIS. The ERICA Project is coordinated by Alberto Pereira (Endo-ERN coordinator, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands).

The video explains to patients affected by rare, low prevalence and complex diseases what the European Reference Networks (ERN) are and how they might support them to identify diagnosis or treatment, in the case their health professional considers the support of the ERNs is necessary.

Click here to view the video with subtitles in all EU languages and Norwegian.

The Endo-ERN newsletter of September 2020 is out now! Read more about planned medical treatment abroad, Endo-ERN webinars, EJP RD calls and upcoming virtual events.

As part of its educational activities, EJP RD runs a Research Mobility Fellowship Programme dedicated to young researchers in the European Reference Networks (ERNs). PhD students and medical doctors in training from ERN member and Affiliated Partner institutions can apply for funding of short-term (1 to 3 months) training visits at another ERN center outside their country of residence. The aim of the programme is to foster the acquisition of skills and knowledge relevant to rare disease research. Both clinical and translational research projects are eligible for funding.

The first round of applications has been concluded successfully in July 2020. Out of 16 applications received, the Scientific Evaluation Committee selected six outstanding applications by fellows from Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and the UK. The exchange visits will involve research units from the following ERNs: ERN-RND, EURO-NMD, ERKNet, eUROGEN, ERNICA and ERN-Eye.
All proposals were evaluated of the Scientific Evaluation Committee (SEC) composed of three WP17 leaders, three independent external scientific experts and one representative of the EJP RD office.

For the next programme call, EJP RD encourages junior physicians and PhD students to apply to this prestigious programme and add this exciting and unique experience to their professional education path and background.

This second call will open on 1st October 2020. All relevant information will be published on the EJP RD website