The European Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) has launched a new joint Call for Proposals for the “Ebola and Other Filoviral Haemorrhagic Fevers Programme,” otherwise known as the Ebola+ Programme.
The topics proposed cover actions that will address short term challenges of the current epidemic as well as actions needed to address Ebola virus disease and other filoviral haemorrhagic fevers in a sustainable way for the long-term.
To address the present challenges of the ongoing epidemic, the following topics are launched under fast track single-stage procedures:
- Topic 1: Vaccine development Phase I, II, and III
- Topic 2: Manufacturing capability
- Topic 3: Stability of vaccines during transport and storage
- Topic 4: Deployment and compliance of vaccination regimens
- Topic 5: Rapid diagnostic tests
IMI indicated additional topics under the Ebola+ Programme may be launched at a later point covering the following areas:
- Immunotherapy
- Formulations for cold chain
- Rapid diagnostic tests – long term
- Antivirals development and repurposing
- Multivalent filovirus vaccine development
The IMI is a public-private partnership, between the European Union and the European pharmaceutical industry, represented by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) in the life sciences area and launched in the year 2008.
Estimated funding for the effort is €140 million. Further details are available under the IMI Solicitation (.pdf). Proposals are due by December 1, 2014.
