€100 Million Partnership to Boost Research into Rare Diseases
The European Commission and 35 partner countries have established a new research partnership on rare diseases. The partnership will give millions of Europeans suffering from one of the many rare diseases a new hope for improved diagnostics and better treatments and care. With a budget of over €100 million, half of which will come from the EU’s research and innovation funding programme Horizon 2020 and half from the partner countries, the new European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases will aim to make sure that new treatments and diagnostic tools reach those who need them the most.
Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, said: “Patients with a rare disease often suffer unnecessarily and die prematurely. We need to do much more to develop effective treatments and improve diagnosis. This partnership shows how we can pool Horizon 2020 funding and resources from EU Member States and beyond in order to save lives and protect people.”
Thepartnership comprises more than 130 entities from 35 countries and will be coordinated by the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research INSERM. The partnership will be officially launched on 1 January 2019 and will run over five years.
