The European Clinical Research Infrastructures Network (ECRIN) supports investigators and sponsors in the conduct of multinational clinical research by providing information and services
ECRIN is a not-for-profit pan-European infrastructure supporting multinational clinical research projects in Europe. ECRIN is based on the collaboration with national networks of clinical research centres (CRCs) and clinical trial units (CTUs), able to provide coordinated information, advice and services for the conduct of multinational clinical research, making Europe a single clinical research area.
Differences in the national legislation and healthcare systems in Europe have resulted in the fragmentation of clinical research. This hampers participant recruitment, scientific collaboration and negatively impacts on the cost of multinational research. This has led to a bottleneck in the initiation of international clinical trials in Europe, particularly by academic sponsors and investigators since they lack the support to interact with the different national regulatory and ethics committees, and to act as a sponsor in foreign countries.
To respond to this challenge, a network of European academic partners was initiated in 2004 to create a pan-European structure for clinical research, the ECRIN. This programme was funded by the 6th and 7th Framework Programmes. The main bottlenecks to multinational cooperation in clinical research were identified and a strategy for the future development of a pan-European infrastructure for clinical research was defined. Procedures and guidelines were prepared to support investigators and sponsors in multinational clinical research projects in the EU and pilot clinical research projects were initiated. ECRIN was supported by the FP7 Capacities Research Infrastructures for its preparatory phase and is currently applying to become a sustainable European Infrastructure with an ERIC (European Research Infrastructure Consortium) legal status.
Currently ECRIN is in its 4th phase (Integrating Activities, 2012-2015, funded by the EU FP7), consolidating its achievement and expanding the network. It supports the connection to ECRIN of disease-, technology-, or product-oriented investigation networks and hubs focusing on specific areas: rare diseases, medical device, and nutrition. Joint research activities are designed to improve the efficiency of ECRIN services with minimal measures for adequate quality.
23 European countries are partnering in this Consortium, managed by the ECRIN Core Team that is connected through the European Correspondents (EuCo) with the participating national hubs.
ECRIN provides information, consulting and services to investigators in the preparation and conduct of multinational clinical studies for any category of clinical research and any disease area.
Luxemburg has joined the ECRIN network through the Clinical and Epidemiological Investigation Center (CIEC) of the CRP-Santé. Since 2009, the CIEC has been involved in preparatory work for the expansion of the ECRIN network and has officially joined in 2011 acting as national information and clinical coordination center.
The ECRIN European Correspondent for Luxemburg based at the Clinical and Epidemiological Investigation Center (CIEC) at the CRP-Santé is your contact for clinical studies information in Luxemburg and Belgium.
Website: www.ecrin.org
ECRIN Coordinator: Dr Jacques Demotes, INSERM, France
ECRIN Network Committee: Chair Member: Dr Anna Chioti, CIEC, CRP-Santé, Luxembourg
ECRIN EU Correspondent for Luxemburg and Belgium:
Nancy De Bremaeker, PhD, CIEC, CRP-Santé, Luxembourg
nancy.debremaeker@crp-sante.lu , Tel:+352 26 970 804
National Hubs partners of ECRIN
New National Hubs
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The articles can be sorted by therapeutic area or disease, but may also deal with more general topics not specifically related to a disease. These articles can be sorted as "other".
