Boosting international cooperation in clinical trials
Clinical research involves testing, not only new medicines, but also therapies, devices and surgical procedures. In order to effectively evaluate such research, multinational cooperation is needed to optimise treatment strategies and help contain healthcare costs. Creating a single European area for clinical research will therefore strengthen the EU's competitiveness in clinical science. It will help to unlock latent scientific potential and expertise, facilitating multinational studies initiated by investigators from any European country. This has been the goal of the EU-funded ECRIN-PPI project: to encourage and facilitate greater international cooperation in clinical trials. This ambitious project, which began in 2004, has succeeded in establishing an infrastructure to support investigators and sponsors in multinational clinical studies. It has also sought to develop common standards and tools so as to reduce research fragmentation across Europe. Involvement in the project has given researchers the capacity to initiate and participate in multinational clinical studies, and has increased access to EU funding. ECRIN-PPI is expected to have a major impact on health and the economy, fostering the development of innovative health products, promoting the independent evaluation of healthcare strategies and contributing to cost containment. The project has also supported the structuring of disease-oriented investigation networks, linked to a pan-European hub. Expanding this strategy could lead to clinical and biomedical research support structures in Europe. ECRIN-PPI now plans to support the structuring of networks in three strategic areas: rare diseases, medical devices and nutrition. Based on its findings, the project has made several legislative recommendations. These are now being discussed at the global level in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) working group to facilitate international cooperation in non-commercial clinical trials.
