Rare diseases will receive generous funding

The European Commission will allocate 144 million euros for research on rare diseases

Weekly Pharmacy www.apteka.ua according to the materials europa.eu : EU provides €144 million for new research on rare diseasesAccording to representatives of the European Commission, the new initiative will improve the quality of life of about 30 million people with rare diseases.

The selected projects represent 300 participants from 29 countries, including academic institutions, research companies that belong to the category of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). During 2007-2013 . The EU has allocated about 500 million euros for such projects. The European Organization for Rare Diseases "EURORDIS" (European Organization for Rare Diseases) believes that there are about 7 thousand rare diseases. Although the occurrence of each of them in the population is low, they are collectively noted in 6-8% of residents of EU member states.

Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research and Innovation, said that most rare diseases affect children or provoke severe genetic abnormalities. The initiative of the European Commission is aimed at stimulating research on a wide range of cardiovascular, metabolic and immunological rare diseases, as well as the study of new methods of their treatment and diagnosis. Specialists will work on improving the bio–artificial apparatus for maintaining liver function, as well as creating a drug for the treatment of alkaptonuria, a genetic disease that provokes changes in the cartilage tissue of joints.

The new projects will contribute to the work of the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC), which is making significant efforts to pool resources and coordinate research policies.

IRDiRC experts predict the emergence of about 200 new treatments for rare diseases by 2020.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru13.03.2013