If you have been following the blog over the last month, you may have seen several posts on a mysterious beast named EDCTP. The EDCTP – or European and developing countries clinical trials partnership – is the EU’s foremost R&D investment tool in developing innovative and effective medical interventions to fight poverty-related and neglected diseases.
The European Parliament, as part of its discussions on the EU’s multiannual R&D budget, approved the next EDCTP programme (EDCTP2) in early April. Following an agreement reached between the European Parliament and EU member states, the Parliament’s plenary voted through the report of Rapporteur Vicky Ford MEP on April 15th. This week, in Brussels EU member states confirmed this agreement at a procedural vote in the Council of Ministers. Ahead of the vote, Mrs. Ford was clear on the impact that it will have on R&D for global health.
What this means is that EDCTP2 is ready to become operational. With an EU budget of € 683 million for the programme period 2014-2023, EDCTP2 will support all stages of clinical trials, from phase I to IV, on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected infectious diseases. My colleague Anne in Brussels has given a great overview of the scope and impact of the original EDCTP programme, and how EDCTP2 will build on these successes in the next 10 years.
Importantly, this week also saw eight African countries join the EDCTP. This is the first time in the programme’s history that African countries will formally participate. The EDCTP secretariat gives a good overview of the historic nature of this development.
Stay tuned to the blog for more updates on EDCTP as we get closer to the EDCTP Forum in Berlin in June 2014!
You can read more about our work in Europe, East Africa and at the global level on driving forward the agenda on global health research and development on our website.
