European Clinical Research Alliance for Infectious Diseases (ECRAID)-Plan
aim
The European Clinical Research Alliance for Infectious Diseases (ECRAID) is the working title of an envisaged European clinical research network for infectious diseases that is to emerge from the EU FP7 funded PREPARE project and the IMI-funded COMBACTE project. ECRAID’s mission is to reduce the impact of infectious diseases (ID) on individual and population health by efficiently generating rigorous evidence to improve the diagnosis, prevention and treatment, and to better respond to ID threats.
ECRAID-Plan is a two-year project (January 2019-Dec 2020) that will develop the business plan for ECRAID. Funded by the European Commission’s H2020 programme (grant number 825715), ECRAID-Plan is developing the scope, services, operations, governance and business model for ECRAID to attract start-up investment for ECRAID operations.
why this is important
(Re-)emerging infectious diseases (EID) and the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) present an ongoing and serious threat to the health, wellbeing and prosperity of individuals and societies worldwide. The estimated annual cost of pandemics is $60 billion and effective diagnostics, drugs and vaccines are lacking for many infectious disease threats.
The estimated annual cost of pandemics is $60 billion and effective diagnostics, drugs and vaccines are lacking for many infectious disease threats.
Tackling these global challenges requires multi-country co-operation and co-ordination. PREPARE and COMBACTE, the legacy networks for ECRAID together represent over EUR300 million of EU and private sector investments in clinical research infrastructure to respond to these public health threats. However, these and other clinical research initiatives are usually funded exclusively as projects, with time limited contracts and defined scopes. If the capability and infrastructures built through project-based clinical research initiatives are not maintained, the return on these major EU investments will be dramatically curtailed.
methods
Iterative development of a business plan involving multi-stakeholder consultation together with consultants from Monitor Deloitte.
benefits to the patients and nhs
Patients and the public will be direct beneficiaries of ECRAID activities. ECRAID trials will generate rigorous evidence to improve the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Access to a practiced, efficient, and cost-effective pan-European clinical research infrastructure will attract industry back to invest in the development of anti-infectives.