European Commission (EC) Puts Out $187 Million to Fund 26 Research Projects

The European Commission will provide €144 million of new funding for 26 research projects, with the objective to deliver 200 new therapies for rare diseases by 2020, the EU's executive announced today (28 February). The projects, announced on Rare Disease Day 2013, is expected to help improve the lives of some of the 30 million Europeans suffering from a rare disease. The goal is to pool resources and work beyond borders in order to get a better understanding of rare diseases and find adequate treatments. The Commission is hoping that the projects, which will be conducted together with national and international partners, will deliver 200 new therapies for rare diseases and the means to diagnose most of them by 2020. Over 300 participants from 29 countries in Europe and beyond will be brought together in the selected projects, including teams from leading academic institutions, smaller businesses and patients' groups. "Most rare diseases affect children and most of them are devastating genetic disorders resulting in greatly reduced quality of life and premature death," said Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, the EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science. "We hope that these new research projects will bring patients, their families and health professionals closer to a cure and support them in their daily battle with disease," she said in a statement.

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