Medical and Health Research
ll four thematic programmes of the Fifth Research Framework Programme (FP5) address topics relevant to medicine and health, while the European Commission's Joint Research Centre also contributes to medical knowledge and health promotion both through its institutional activities - including those of the new Institute for Health and Consumer Protection - and through participation in framework programme projects.
Research under the precursor programmes of FP4, notably Biomed and Biotech, has led to advances which bring closer effective treatments for diseases including cancer and Alzheimer's, as well as enhancing understanding of new subjects of concern such as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) and the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food.
The value of such work for long-term health protection is beyond doubt. But EU funding also supports medical innovation - the intense collaborative effort needed to bring new drugs, new devices and new communication technologies to the point at which they can start to be manufactured and used.
The case studies in this edition's Dossier article highlight three demonstration projects - two from FP4's Biomed programme, and one from its Telematics Applications programme - and a transnational joint development project supported by the Innovation and SMEs programme's Innovation Relay Centre network.
All four offer fine examples of the direct benefits produced by EU research activities, both for European citizens and for European industry.
July 1999
