Harmonised clinical research

The European Commission is providing 225,000 euro for a new one-year project aimed at harmonising pan-European clinical research.

Funded under the Priority I ‘Life Science and Health’ of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) , ECRIN (European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network) has two aims. The first is to develop an infrastructure promoting a harmonised implementation of the EU directives dealing with clinical research. The second aim is to facilitate multinational clinical studies and trials by providing a number of ‘à la carte’ services to public or private sponsors.

‘Based on the interconnection of national networks of clinical research centres (CRCs) and clinical trial units (CTUs) , the ECRIN programme is designed to develop an infrastructure allowing for bottom-up harmonisation of support, training and practice of clinical research,’ explained Jacques Demotes-Mainard, the project
coordinator.

The ECRIN consortium involves eight networks from six EU countries, as well as the European Forum for Good Clinical Practice (EFGCP) . Together they represent 112 medical centres and hospitals currently
conducting 1500 clinical studies.

Connecting these national networks in a pan-European network will contribute to the critical mass at European level needed for the implementation of European standards and training for clinicaltrials, explained Professor Demotes-Mainard.

Read more here.