A GRiP (Global Research in Paediatrics) project partners meeting was held in Rome, from March 5th – 7th 2014. More than 50 representatives from GRiP partners and third parties joined together to take stock of the situation on projects outcomes and results and to point out the next activities to fulfil.
GRiP is a FP7-funded network of scientists which aims to stimulate and facilitate the development and safe use of medicines in children, aiming to become the leading research network in the field of paediatric clinical pharmacology.
The first day has been completely dedicated to one of the main GRiP products, that is the international comprehensive training programme in paediatric pharmacology. This educational activity will be soon implemented as joint Master involving several European universities. The curriculum map for each of the 10 modules of the Master has been presented together with a clear definition of the innovative training methodology.
During the second and the third day of the meeting, attended also by some Pharma representatives, some outcomes and results of each Work Package have been presented:
• the platform allowing an integration of the existing data in the healthcare paediatric databases
• the modelling approach for paediatric clinical trials
• the case-study for biomarker evaluation in sepsis
• the STEP database, on safety and toxicity of excipients used in paediatric medicines to support the development of new paediatric formulations.
• a strategy for the Knowledge Transfer of all GRiP outcomes
An overview describing lights and shadows and the actual state of the paediatric projects to develop off-patent drugs funded under the FP7 has also been presented by Professor Adriana Ceci.
Fondazione Gianni Benzi, collaborating as third party of GRiP project, took part actively in the meeting. The Foundation is coordinating two educational modules of the Master programme and participates in activities related to paediatric clinical trial methodology, including the governance of privacy and data protection in European and non-European countries, with particular reference to the secondary use of data.
For further information on the GRiP project, visit the website.