Umc's team up to improve pandemic preparedness

A new pandemic on the horizon

Infectious diseases such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites are not always harmless. That is the hard lesson learned worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. A new pandemic is a very real possibility, according to experts. Pandemic preparedness means being prepared for a possible new global outbreak. By being prepared, we limit the impact on public health, society and the economy.

The power of working together

During a pandemic, it is important that patients can be treated quickly and effectively. This minimizes individual damage as well as the impact on society. Experts from four university medical centers, the CHDR and FAST are joining forces to achieve this. The vision of the partnership is to establish a national network of experts and (research) infrastructure, called InFECT-NL. The goal of InFECT-NL is twofold. First, to accelerate the processes of identifying and producing new drugs and vaccines against infectious diseases, and second, to establish a platform to share knowledge and experience with all areas.

First step

The InFECT-NL proposal has been granted a kick-start grant of 9.5 million. An independent entity will first investigate the technical aspects of the proposal, its intended timelines and expected costs. In the event of a positive outcome, InFECT-NL will then be launched, followed by FAST setting up the platform and building the necessary (research) infrastructure.

Impact

LUMC professor Meta Roestenberg is coordinator of the partnership. Besides the importance of testing new drugs, she underlines the strength of the knowledge within the Dutch academic network. " Combining our knowledge and expertise will enable us to make a major impact, not only in pandemic preparedness but also on global health."

*The partnership includes Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Radboudumc, Amsterdam UMC, UMC Utrecht, the Center for Human Drug Research (CHDR) and the Center for Future Affordable Sustainable Therapy Development (FAST).