3TR is a high-end research project that aims at improving treatment available for asthma and COPD. Funded by the Innovative Medicine Initiative (IMI), it studies patients’ response to treatments, with the goal to move closer to personalised therapies. EFA has facilitated the creation of a Young Respiratory Patient Working Group to inform the researchers in the project.
The researchers from 69 partners involved in 3TR are working to identify biomarkers and molecular mechanisms that could explain the response (or non-response) to treatment of seven immune-mediated, allergic and inflammatory diseases, including asthma and COPD.
The results of the project will represent a step further towards personalised therapy that will improve asthma and COPD management.
EFA brings the asthma and COPD patient perspective to 3TR
Alongside other disease specific patient groups partnering in the project, EFA’s role in 3TR is to providing the asthma and COPD patients’ perspective throughout the research conducted in 3TR.
To have the patient’s voice at the very centre of this project, EFA setup a Respiratory Patients Working Group (RPWG) with the European Lung Foundation (ELF). Today, there are 16 asthma and COPD patients involved in the RPWG, who provide fundamental advice and revise protocols.
The group has participated in a Delphi exercise to help identify relevant patient-centred biomarkers to define asthma therapeutic response and wellbeing. Having patients among the mostly clinical experts involved is a crucial step in ensuring that patients’ experiences and views are taken into consideration. The results of the exercise will guide 3TR researchers to identify the relevant response in treatments.
Including the young patient’s perspective
In the past few months, EFA has also facilitated the creation of a Young Respiratory Patient Working Group that brings together young asthma patients to enlarge the patient representation and perspectives throughout the project.
The 3TR project is funded by the Innovative Medicine Initiative (IMI), a public-private partnership between the European Commission and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries Associations (EFPIA) to advance health research and innovation.
More information about the 3TR project can be found here.