Objective
Specific Objectives
- Continue setting-up the network and defining task groups and specific activities/projects of each. Eight task groups are currently identified:
Radioisotope availability, Transport & containers, Quality Assurance, Radioprotection and radioecology, New radioisotope therapy (including immunotherapy), Radiotherapy, Health Technology Assessment, Education and Training;
- Extend partnership if needed, depending on the specific tasks defined. Further contacts with DGs;
- Launch a survey on medical radioisotope utilisation in Europe, in order to specify current needs and forecast future ones. The results should help in defining EU strategy on radio-isotope production facilities (nuclear research reactors, cyclotrons) for routine and research, and perhaps in understanding reasons for non-availability of some isotopes in some EU countries hopefully allowing to correct these inequalities. In as much as feasible, this will be extended candidate countries.
Planned Deliverables
The network is being set-up and specific work being defined, so various specific deliverables can only be defined at later stages.
- Continuation of setting-up the network and definition of specific activities/projects. Extended partnership if needed;
- Definition and launch of the above-mentioned survey on medical radio-isotope utilisation in Europe;
- Research proposals to be submitted for support;
- Initial deliverables usual for an operating network: minutes of meetings, web site, dedicated workshops, database.
Specific deliverables to DGs:
- Contribution to ERA (specifically in the area of nuclear technologies for health);
- Contacts and specifications of scope of interest of DGs.
Summary of 2001 Deliverables: 31/12/2001
Set-up work for the network:
- Definition of partners;
- Organisation of 3 steering committee meetings (3rd planned for 20 November);
- Minutes of meetings;
- Definition of steering committee chair and 2 vice-chairs;
- Active participation of DG-SANCO and DG-RTD to last meeting (of 13 June);
- Network agreement: negotiation and text finalised; Already signed by many partners;
- Identification and modification of potential task groups;
- Some specific meetings to better define some of the task groups;
- Database created, containing relevant network documents (minutes, agreement), accessible from the outside.
Output Indicators and Impact
Objectives
Output indicators
(Specific actions taken)
Impact
(Long term results)
Continue setting-up the network and defining task groups and specific activities/projects of each;
- High participation level of radio-pharmaceutical industry;
- Participation of main relevant European medical organisation;
- Opening of network to CCs
- Continuation of database and web site creation;
Better co-ordination and harmonisation of the development of nuclear medicine and radiotherapy;
Contribution to implementation of ERA;
Further contacts with DGs;
Specifications of scope of interest of DGs;
Potential contribution of network to EU policies;
Launch a survey on medical radio-isotope utilisation;
Survey definition and launch;
Help in defining EU strategy on radio-isotope production facilities.
Summary of the project
The aim is to set up and manage a European Network to promote the development and availability to all EU citizens of high quality and safe medical applications of nuclear technologies and methodologies, as used for the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of major diseases. By tackling some of the problems limiting nuclear medicine and radiotherapy development and availability, in particular by better European co-ordination and harmonisation, it would help improve health and quality of life of citizens, optimise socio-economic costs and could increase the development and competitiveness of industry. It will involve main EU stakeholders and end-users, and 4 JRC institutes.
Rationale
Nuclear medicine and radiotherapy are important for the health, health care and quality of life of EU citizens, and also involve socio-economic and industrial (pharmaceutical and medical equipment) aspects. Indeed, they play major roles in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of some of the most frequent diseases, like cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Every year in Europe, over 12 million patients benefit from a nuclear medicine procedure, 90% of which are diagnostic and 10% therapeutic, and one out of 3 patients hospitalised in the US undergoes a nuclear medicine examination. Radiotherapy is one of the effective treatments of cancer: it is used in 50% of the cases and cures 40% of the cancer patients cured today. The applications are expected to further expand, with developments in new radioisotopes, nuclear technologies and biotechnologies. The radiopharmaceutical market, currently growing by 5-6 % per year, has the potential, with new developments, to grow faster. However, many problems hamper new developments and also the availability and proper/safe use of existing techniques, which differ across Europe. Some of the problems are specific to the EU and largely due to lack of co-ordination and harmonisation both for scientific and science-based regulatory aspects. Just one of many examples is the unavailability or unreliable supply of a broad variety of new radioisotopes for medical research and clinical trials. These problems may further result in Europe loosing the leadership that it has in some areas. A European network is an efficient way to tackle many of these problems and coordinate and accelerate developments. It should involve all the necessary actors, and 3 of the main European stakeholder and end-user organisations have already started to actively contribute: EANM and ESTRO, representing clinicians and researchers, and ARPES, representing industry. They accepted the roles of chair and vice-chairs of the network's steering committee. Other entities, like individual companies, academic and nuclear research institutes are also participating. Nuclear medicine and radiotherapy are based on the use of radioisotopes and external radiation beams, and therefore largely rely on nuclear technologies and methodologies. JRC, with various of its institutes (IE, IHCP, IRMM, ITU), has some specific and sometimes unique competencies and facilities in many of the involved fields. This, coupled with its independence and experience, makes it a natural operating agent for such a network. By tackling some of the problems limiting nuclear medicine and radiotherapy development and availability, this network should help improve health and quality of life of EU citizens, optimise socio-economic costs and increase the development and competitiveness of industry. It further fits well in the concept of the European Research Area.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences databases
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine radiology nuclear medicine
- engineering and technology other engineering and technologies nuclear engineering
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine cardiology cardiovascular diseases
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Data not available
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
Petten
Netherlands
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.