Third-party funded projects – Medicine

Overview of all ongoing, third-party funded research projects

ERDERA (European Rare Diseases Research Alliance)

The European Rare Diseases Research Alliance (ERDERA) aims to improve the health and well-being of the 30 million people living with a rare disease in Europe, by making Europe a world leader in Rare Disease (RD) research and innovation, to support concrete health benefits to rare disease patients, through better prevention, diagnosis and treatment. This Partnership will deliver a RD ecosystem that builds on the successes of previous programmes by supporting robust patient need-led research, developing new diagnostic methods and pathways, spearheading the digital transformational change connecting the dots between care, patient data and research, while ensuring strong alignment of strategies in RD research across countries and regions. Structuring goal-oriented public-private collaborations targeted at interventions all along the R&D value chain will ensure that the journey from knowledge to patient impact is expedited, thereby optimising EU innovation potential in RD. To support its ambition and missions ERDERA has been designed as a comprehensive and integrated ecosystem of which structure can be compared to an institute encompassing three main parts: (i) funding, (ii) internal (in house) Clinical Research Network that implements research activities targeting clinical trial readiness of RDs and accelerating diagnosis and translation of research discovery into improved patient care, and (iii) related supporting services (Data, Expertise, Education and Training) as well as an acceleration hub that serve external and internal RD community, all supported by all-embracing coordination and
strategy and foundational (inter)national alignment.

Contacts at SFU:

RealiseD

RealiseD

Today, around 7000 rare diseases affect more that 300 million people worldwide, yet the majority of rare and ultra rare diseases still lack a therapeutic option. Patients endure a long journey to receive a diagnosis, which typically takes four years for known diseases; however, 50% of patients never obtain a definitive molecular diagnosis. Moreover, 52% of patients and caregivers report that their condition has a severe impact on their daily lives.

Sigmund Freud Private University (SFU), as the coordinating institution, has launched the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) RealiseD project together with AstraZeneca and nearly 40 partners. The initiative aims to fundamentally improve clinical trials for rare and ultra-rare diseases and accelerate the development of therapies for over 30 million people across Europe.

With a budget of 17 million euros, the project will develop new methodological tools over the next five years to address challenges such as small patient populations and fragmented regulatory frameworks. Technologies like Real World Evidence and digital tools will play a key role in optimizing trial designs and fostering patient-centered innovations.

Key partners, including the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and several European Reference Networks (ERNs), support the project, which also aims to advance cutting-edge therapies like Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs).RealiseD strengthens the European research landscape and demonstrates the value of public-private partnerships in improving care for patients with rare diseases. With this project, SFU reaffirms its leadership in innovative medical research.

Contacts at SFU:

back to the top