Newsroom

2020

Draft future Call topics published online

06/04/2020

Tackling cancer through artificial intelligence, antimicrobial resistance, neurodegenerative diseases, rare disease diagnosis, clinical trial data, and patient adherence are the topics proposed for IMI’s next Calls for proposals.

Close up of a hand holding a tiny lightbulb. Credit: Shutterstock

ECSEL JU calls for input on planned Call for proposals on decentralised clinical trials

03/04/2020

ECSEL JU, the joint undertaking for electronic components and systems, has launched a ‘Call for Vision’ for a planned Call for proposals that would complement the work of IMI’s Trials@Home project.

Smart watch - image by Fancycrave1 from Pixabay

The socio-economic impact of IMI projects

02/04/2020

12 years and 150 projects later, what kind of socio-economic impact has IMI-funded research had? Since its inception, IMI has supported 150 different research projects. That’s 150 teams of problem-solvers working together in the spirit of what we like to think of as ‘radical collaboration’. For 12 years, these projects have been producing toolboxes of new technologies, spreading best practices, training, skill-building and sharing not just their knowledge but also...

IMI networks are helping set up and run COVID-19 drug trials

30/03/2020

IMI’s COMBACTE project is perfectly placed to support the DisCoVery studies of four potential COVID-19 therapies

New tools and trials combat the resurgence of whooping cough

30/03/2020

EU-funded researchers hope a greater understanding of interactions between pertussis bacteria and the immune system, together with a toolkit for testing new vaccines, will help prevent whooping cough disease and deaths in babies worldwide.

IMI can help advance regulatory science for advanced therapies and digital tech, stakeholders say

27/03/2020

Unblocking the regulatory challenges surrounding advanced therapies and digital technologies could be game-changing for all players, said attendees at IMI’s recent regulatory science summit.

“This is like a real-life experiment for us”

18/03/2020

ZAPI is laying the groundwork for the response to zoonotic disease outbreaks like COVID-19

COVID-19 is a sign of the times

10/03/2020

Repurposing existing drugs could get us out of the current predicament but it’s clear we need to prepare for more pandemics

IMI launches €45 million Call for proposals on the coronavirus

03/03/2020

IMI has launched a fast-track Call for proposals to develop therapeutics and diagnostics for current and future coronavirus outbreaks

The secret life of tumours

26/02/2020

In recent funding calls, IMI has turned its attention to emerging cancer therapies, seeking better understanding of things like the effect of tumour microenvironment on immunotherapy success

CANCER-ID hunts for cancer clues in blood samples

20/02/2020

Today, many cancer patients have to undergo biopsy surgery to provide doctors with the cell samples they need to diagnose the disease and monitor how well a treatment is working. IMI’s CANCER-ID project has paved the way for the use of ‘liquid biopsies’ drawn from a blood sample.

IMI planning EUR 45 million Call for proposals on COVID-19

17/02/2020

The fast-track, single stage Call will cover therapeutics and diagnostics to tackle the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. IMI plans to launch a Call for proposals on COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that was first reported in China in December 2019 and has since infected over 71 000 people and killed 1 700. The Call, which will be launched in early March, focuses on the development of: therapeutics to address the...

First batch of real-world data from prostate cancer studies added to big data platform

13/02/2020

Partners in the PIONEER project have uploaded datasets from major studies, and are calling on others to do the same

New cancer therapies offer hope, but there’s still a lot we don’t know

03/02/2020

If medicine developers are to invest heavily in immunotherapy, oncologists, authorities and insurers need clear guidance on who will benefit

PARADIGM: a ‘game changer’ for patient engagement in R&D

30/01/2020

When and how should the health research and development community involve patients in their work? IMI’s PARADIGM project is trying to find out.

Patient Engagement Open Forum 2019. Photo Aurore Delsoir

Identifying potential antibiotic leads is painfully slow, but these researchers identified 5 in only 6 years

28/01/2020

ENABLE surpassed their goal of identifying 3 leads for new antibiotics. With more promising compounds in the pipeline, the project has been extended.

Cancer, TB, vaccines included as topics in latest Call

21/01/2020

We've launched a new Call for proposals with funding opportunities in cancer, tuberculosis, vaccines, psoriatic arthritis and drugs based on proteins.

A school for patients? Yes, you can be an expert in that

21/01/2020

Grassroots campaigners paved the way for the modern patient advocacy movement, which is becoming increasingly sophisticated

Web search keywords can help spot early Alzheimer’s cases

16/01/2020

Researchers from MOPEAD tested different ways to engage patients, including reaching out to suspected early Alzheimer’s sufferers by flagging internet searches like “forgetfulness”

What patients really want: "Nothing about us without us”

09/01/2020

Drug-makers have only recently started to give drug-takers a say in how their medicines are made, turning patients into a new generation of experts.

2019

PET scans that show brain changes caused by Alzheimer’s give doctors confidence in diagnosis

20/12/2019

Being able to visualise the pathology linked to the disease is a big benefit for diagnosis and patient management. Researchers from an IMI project that set out to get definitive data on the role of amyloid PET scans in Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis are hearing from physicians that being able to visualise the underlying pathology linked to the disease is a big benefit for diagnosis and patient management. The ability to...

Sign up for the IMI2 – Call 20 webinars

17/12/2019

IMI2 – Call 20 will be launched in January 2020 and features topics on cancer, tuberculosis, psoriasis, drugs based on proteins, and vaccines. Registration is now open for the IMI2 - Call 20 webinars, which will be held from 22 to 31 January 2020 inclusive. Registration is free but obligatory via the webinar page. There are webinars on all Call topics as well as IMI's rules and procedures and opportunities...

Cache of research materials on understudied proteins now available to scientific community

12/12/2019

The RESOLUTE project have made the DNA reagents for 446 solute carriers freely available in the hope that the proteins might be used as targets in drug development

Alzheimer’s project EPAD releases first wave of data to research community

12/12/2019

The data comes from EPAD’s study into the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s dementia – before symptoms appear.

Alzheimer's researchers use AI to get access to brains

10/12/2019

The Aetionomy project used digital technology to study brains without needing samples from living people, allowing them to simulate processes associated with Alzheimer's.

How competition nearly killed Alzheimer’s research

06/12/2019

Repeat failures put the brakes on research until the pharma industry regrouped in a new, non-competitive, way.

Genetically engineered antibodies cut infection rates in a trial. Could they wean us off antibiotics?

04/12/2019

Researchers’ hopes are raised after a trial using monoclonal antibodies to prevent pneumonia in ventilated intensive care patients gets good results

IMI research gets cited at double the global average rate

27/11/2019

Report shows rise in performance, with IMI research cited 60% more than EU average and twice as much as the rest of the world.

Can real world data replicate a clinical trial? EHDEN study suggests yes

26/11/2019

IMI’s EHDEN project dramatically demonstrated the power of using clinical data in research by replicating, during a five-day ‘study-a-thon’, the results of a systematic review covering 20 years of research, and a multi-year clinical trial.

New IMI project 3TR to advance personalised treatments for immune diseases

25/11/2019

3TR hopes to unravel the mystery of why treatments don't work in some patients.

Technology, not instinct, should guide antibiotic prescribing. A Q&A with Herman Goossens

21/11/2019

Quick tests for bacterial infections are out there, but insurers won’t cover them and doctors are reluctant to use them.

Trials@Home project brings clinical trials to the patient

21/11/2019

In the future, patients could take part in clinical trials from the comfort of their own home, avoiding the inconvenience of regular clinic visits.

How can we make clinical trials more kid-friendly?

20/11/2019

IMI-funded researchers are inviting children and young people to help decide how clinical trials with child participants should be run.

c4c child consultants for clinical trials

A very promising new antibiotic just started clinical trials

19/11/2019

Researchers from ENABLE are hopeful about apramycin because it has passed the stage at which most potential antibiotics fail.

Why it’s so hard to make new antibiotics

15/11/2019

There’s no lack of chemicals that can kill bacteria. One of the main reasons there have been so few new antibiotics developed in recent decades – apart from a poor return on investment – is that researchers have run out of ideas on how to outwit the protective mechanisms of Gram-negative bacteria.

For small companies, IMI projects can help tap into new markets

11/11/2019

CEO of TRISTAN project partner tells IMI about the opportunities that can open up as a result of getting involved in an IMI project. Karin von Wachenfeldt, Ph. D. is the CEO of Truly Labs, a Swedish SME that carries out preclinical research. Tell us about your company: Truly Labs is a small preclinical CRO (contract research organisation) that provides lab services for drug development. We are based in Lund...

New antibiotics won’t stop antimicrobial resistance. Luckily, there are other things we can try

05/11/2019

Vaccines could offer hope - but who to vaccinate, and against what, has no clear answer yet. By Pierre Meulien, Director, IMI

Focus: Antimicrobial resistance

04/11/2019

Antimicrobial resistance is becoming one of the defining problems of our time. As bacteria become resistant to the drugs that are supposed to kill them, scientists, policy makers and the pharma industry are looking at different ways to fix the problem before it’s too late. IMI has invested heavily in AMR research. To date, we have invested almost €800 million on 14 projects. In November, we will be taking a...

New IMI project puts immune cells in the spotlight

04/11/2019

EUR 27 million Immune-Image project will advance the use of imaging technologies to track immune cells. Immunotherapies, which harness the immune system to fight disease, are revolutionising the treatment of many cancers and inflammatory diseases. However, while these innovative treatments prove life-saving for some patients, others do not respond to immunotherapies at all, and others experience serious side effects. The 5-year Immune-Image project, which started recently, aims to pioneer the...

Trial of second Ebola vaccine to start in Democratic Republic of the Congo

31/10/2019

The trial of the two-dose Ebola vaccine regimen aims to help tackle the current outbreak and strengthen future Ebola epidemic preparedness. An international consortium will soon start a large-scale clinical trial of an Ebola vaccine regimen in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is currently experiencing the second worst Ebola epidemic in history. IMI has contributed significantly to the development of the two-dose vaccine regimen, which is manufactured by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.

Meet IMI at BIO-Europe 2019

29/10/2019

In two weeks’ time, IMI will be in Hamburg for BIO-Europe 2019, which runs from 11 to 13 November. A highlight for IMI will be a session on the morning of 12 November on EU support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Among the speakers is IMI’s Magali Poinot, who will explain the benefits for SMEs of participating in IMI projects and show how SMEs can get involved in IMI...

Project to team up with African manufacturer to make diagnostic tests

28/10/2019

This project is trying out a different kind of capacity building. Apart from hosting workshops and info sessions on the use of VHFMoDRAD's diagnostic tests, the project plans to identify and team up with a Senegalese producer that can make the tests themselves.

Spotlight on early-career investigators: an interview with Benjamin Falcon

23/10/2019

Benjamin Falcon is a scientist in the IMPRiND project, which is investigating the role of misfolded proteins in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Dr Benjamin Falcon is a postdoctoral scientist at the UK Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, working to untangle the mysteries of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. He completed his PhD with Professor Michel Goedert and has developed an impressive track record of findings that progress...

Contribute to the research agenda of the new health PPP

23/10/2019

Have your say on the strategic research agenda for a public-private partnership for health innovation under Horizon Europe.

Good data on medication safety for new and expectant mothers is overdue

18/10/2019

A survey intends to get a clear picture of women’s experiences of medicating while pregnant or breast-feeding Video: Caroline Swain was five weeks pregnant when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her health providers didn't initially know what treatments she could take. © The Pregnancy and Medicines Initiative The problem Evidence suggests that up to 95% of the five million women who get pregnant in the EU every year will...