The European Project DEEP, DEferiprone Evaluation in Paediatrics, was presented in Bari at the Sheraton Nicolaus Hotel at 2 PM. This presentation occurred during the opening session of the Kick-off Meeting (KoM), which lasted until April 16th. The KoM was organized by the CVBF in collaboration with the University of Bari and Fondazione Gianni Benzi.
DEEP concerned the study of an oral chelator, deferiprone, for treating children affected by Thalassemia, a rare disease with a high prevalence in the Mediterranean region. The project involved 15 partners, encompassing a total of 22 clinical centers from both Europe and Africa. Representatives from all the interested countries participated.
The project had been funded by the European Commission under the 7th RF because it met a therapeutically relevant need in the pediatric population. This was demonstrated by the fact that in 2009, deferiprone was listed among the “Priority for Pediatric Research” by the European Medicines Agency. According to the EC mandate, DEEP aimed to develop pediatric studies to assure proper dosage and safer use of the drug in young children. Overall, the project was committed to guaranteeing ethical protection and access to appropriate treatments in both Europe and non-European regions.
The Kick-off Meeting aimed to officially start the project. During the meeting, the project’s mission and expectancies were discussed, and a larger collaboration among participants, including expert clinicians, pharmaceutical industries, patient associations, and public health body representatives, was fostered.