Framework programme:

6

Call:

4

Project number:

LSHP-CT-2006-037570

EC contribution:

€ 12,500,000

Duration:

60 Months

Type:

NoE

Starting date:

1st February 2007

Keywords: HIV, AIDS, Antiretroviral Therapy, Clinical Research, Europe, Networking, Research and Spreading

Summary:

NEAT’s mission is to strengthen European HIV clinical research capacity by building a clinical and laboratory network in HIV therapeutics. NEAT will catalyse a critical mass of resources and expertise, with the direct involvement of 41 core partners from 16 countries and over 350 affiliated centres of established international reputation. NEAT is committed to designing the roadmap for a durable reshaping of the way clinical research is carried out in Europe so as to achieve a progressive and lasting integration. In doing so, NEAT will pave the way toward the creation of the European Research Area.

The Network will also spread expertise and resources provide training and mobility of scientists at all levels and will foster lasting collaborations across Europe.

Background:

Academic and publicly driven transnational and clinical research in Europe is still fragmented and insufficiently funded, despite some relevant examples of at least partial integration and coordination (e.g. cancer and cardiovascular research). In fact, the majority of preclinical and phase I-III clinical research is carried out by the pharmaceutical industry. In the HIV infection and AIDS area, public investments and coordination varies considerably from country to country, with only a few countries having specific National Programmes providing funding, and/or Central Coordinating Institutions providing technical support to clinical research within the country.

Combination antiretroviral therapy has resulted in a dramatic decrease in mortality and HIV-associated morbidity in industrialised countries. Nevertheless, many serious issues and challenges – namely long term toxicity and HIV drug resistance - are problematic and important in the management of HIV infected individuals, even when treated according to the state-of-the-art. The need for further advances in clinical governance and management of HIV infection remains a high priority, both from a public health and from a medical research perspective.

Aim:

NEAT includes 41 partner institutions from 16 European Countries, with over 350 affiliated centres, caring for the vast majority of persons living with HIV/AIDS in Europe. During the Network development phase, NEAT plans to incorporate all European countries, particularly from the central/eastern region.

Activities will focus on developing new strategies and approaches, from combination antiretroviral therapy to immune-based therapies to treatment of HIV-hepatitis co-infections, promoting networking of transnational research, from proof-of-principle, to phase III - IV clinical trials.

The Network will disseminate expertise and resources, provide training and mobility of scientists at all levels and foster long-term collaborations that will empower European HIV clinical research. A strong educational programme will improve the knowledge of HIV medicine and treatment will be homogenised throughout Europe, avoiding inequalities of care. NEAT will bring together over 350 clinical centres - will improve the harmonisation of medical practices throughout Europe, which will go beyond HIV/AIDS.

Expected results:

• To strengthen the research capacity throughout Europe by building a network for clinical therapeutic trials in HIV in order to optimise the management of HIV;
• To define optimal strategies for management of HIV infection and to guide the implementation of optimal interventions;
• To improve coherence, complementarities and integration and to develop a common research programme in HIV research;
• To spread excellence through training, mobility and informative programmes (including public events, conferences, website);
• To bring together the existing but dispersed critical mass of researchers (more than 200 scientists) and expertise in Europe from leading Institutions and Organisations (5 National Agencies, 2 established consortia, 15 leading clinical Institutions and 1 European Patient Association);
• To integrate leading HIV/AIDS research Institutions and Clinical Centres through a coherent, multidisciplinary and durable research programme;
• To tackle fragmentation and strengthen excellence by creating a Clinical Trials Platform to improve the efficacy and coherence of ongoing HIV/AIDS clinical research in Europe;
• To design the roadmap for a durable restructuring and reshaping of the way research is carried out in Europe to achieve a desired level of integration, in the medium/long term;
• To significantly increase the quality and ambitions of existing research in order to affirm Europe’s leadership in the field;
• To promote quality and excellence through the establishment of a PhD and post doctoral programme to train young scientists.

Coordinator:

Stefano Vella MD
Istituto Superiore di Sanità [the Italian National Institute of Health]
Viale Regina Elena 299
Rome-00161
Italy
Tel: +39 06 4990 6015 / 49906016
Mobile: +39 348 2650598
Fax: +39 06 4990 2012
E-mail: stefanovella@iss.it
Website: www.iss.it

Partners: