European Parliament ITRE committee passes milestone on the path to implementing IMI2

The European Parliament's committee on industry, research and energy (ITRE) on January 24 adopted the second public-private joint venture in Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI2), a partnership of the European Commission and trade group the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), which has the goal of developing next generation vaccines, medicines and treatments, such as new antibiotics.

The EFPIA says it welcomes the ITRE committee’s decision last week, which marks another important milestone towards adopting the legislative package supporting the second Innovative Medicines Initiative.

The second initiative, which covers the period 2014-2024, has seen its budget rise to around 3 billion euros ($4.1 billion). IMI2 projects will help advance medical research in key areas of unmet medical need, from brain disorders to anti-microbial resistance. By working towards new treatments and improved delivery, IMI2 aims to improve “real world” care for patients, delivering the right treatment to the right patient at the right time.