IMI (Innovative Medicines Initiative) is Europe's largest public-private initiative seeking to speed up the development of better and safer medicines for patients.
This year’s IMI forum counted on many interesting presentations, from EU officials and industry. A patient keynote speaker, presented on the burden of his disease and showed the importance of patient’s increasing engagement in IMI 2.
IMI supports collaborative research projects and builds networks of industrial and academic experts in order to boost pharmaceutical innovation in Europe. Although IMI new calls for projects are disease specific, this years’ call opens the way to support more cross-cutting patient involvement, beyond any disease.
During the meeting, three successful IMI projects were showcased as an example, to share the difficulties and barriers partners encountered and the outcomes of their work. Three break-out groups were organised, where (1) advanced therapies; (2) enabling technologies; big data and (3) optimising IMI’s funding schemes were discussed.
Anders Olauson, president of the European Patient Forum (EPF), addressed the barriers and challenges of patient involvement in research. Active involvement of patients and patient organisations throughout the entire stakeholder forum of 2015, clearly demonstrated IMI2’s steps in improving patient access to innovation in Europe.
More information about IMI’s stakeholder Forum can be found here.