Parliament adopts IMI2
The European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) has adopted a second public private partnership under Horizon 2020, the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI2).
IMI is a public-private partnership between the European Commission and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). The objective is to improve the process of developing new drugs and treatments by supporting co-operation in research and development.
French MEP Françoise Grossetête, of the European People’s Party (EPP), said that the partnership addressed the key challenges for public health in Europe. IMI2 will contribute to the fight against the emergence and potential resurgence of infectious diseases, including increased antimicrobial resistance.
In a statement, the MEP said: “It is through this type of initiative that we will meet the health challenges of the 21st Century.”
The first IMI initiative, which took place from 2007-2013, funded 40 projects and developed new therapies for patients, as well as created nearly 1,500 jobs. It had a budget of €2bn, with half the funding coming from the Commission and the other half from EFPIA.
The second initiative, spanning the period 2014-2024, has seen its budget rise to €3.45bn. It will focus on the development of treatments that contribute to lifelong health and wellbeing, which are expected to gain importance due to an ageing population and rising levels of chronic and degenerative diseases.
