IT-DED3 — Integrated Training in Dry Eye Disease Drug Development (IT-DED3)

Results in brief

Integrated Training in Dry Eye Disease Drug Development (IT-DED3)

Dry eye disease (DED) is a chronic, multifactorial disease of the ocular surface and is a major and increasing healthcare problem with a serious impact on patient’s quality of life. Prevalence data reveal that 5 to 35% of the world adult’s population (3x more frequent in women) suffers from DED. Experts predict that the prevalence in the younger population will increase due to frequent screen usage, environmental factors and wearing of contact lenses. Currently, DED management is focused on maintaining lubrication of the ocular surface and anti-inflammatory therapy. Experts in the field of DED stress that new and complementary therapies are needed with lesser side effects to treat an increasing and heterogenic patient population. The Integrated Training in Dry Eye Disease Drug Development (IT-DED3) has gathered world-class expertise in medicinal and process chemistry, ocular drug delivery and formulation, DED models, imaging, biomarker research and clinical ophthalmology. IT-DED³ is a multidisciplinary and intersectoral research and training network composed of 6 academic beneficiaries and one non-academic beneficiary and 9 partner organisations. Our main objective is to accelerate new therapy and biomarker development for DED.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

The European network for Integrated Training in Dry Eye Disease Drug Development (IT-DED3) aims to deliver multidisciplinary and entrepreneurial researchers trained to develop new therapies for patients suffering from dry eye diseases (DED). DED is a chronic, multifactorial disease of the ocular surface and is a major and increasing healthcare problem due to its high prevalence and economic burden because of the ageing population and frequent computer/tablet/smartphone usage.New DED drug development and translation from “bench to bedside” is urgently needed and therefore IT-DED3 integrates world-class expertise in medicinal chemistry, process chemistry, ocular drug delivery and formulation, DED models, imaging, biomarker research and clinical ophthalmology. The scientific novelty is manifold, including new drug targets and compound classes, innovative formulation strategies for ocular drug delivery, and novel optical and molecular biomarkers identified by new imaging techniques and genomic-based systematic screening of a database of DED patients.The consortium of 7 beneficiaries and 10 partners (in total 7 from the non-academic sector) from 8 different European countries will select 12 early stage researchers (ESRs). Each ESR will perform high level scientific research in this stimulating multidisciplinary, international and intersectoral environment. Besides the scientific skills, the Personal Career Development Plan (PCDP) of each ESR will include transferable skills such as data management, project and time management, communication and dissemination, IP and valorisation. Both the research and training programme of IT-DED3 will deliver researchers with an enhanced career perspective and employability, who know how to use their entrepreneurial skills to move drug development projects in DED and other fields to the next technology readiness level.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

UNIVERSITEIT ANTWERPEN · AntwerpenCoordinatorBelgium
CENTRE HOSPITALIER NATIONAL D'OPHTALMOLOGIE DES QUINZE-VINGTS · ParisFrance
HGBEYOND MATERIALS SICENCE SL · SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELASpain
HORUS PHARMA SAS · Saint-Laurent-Du-VarFrance
Heidelberg Engineering GmbH · HeidelbergGermany
INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTE ET DE LA RECHERCHE MEDICALE · ParisFrance
INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGIA EXPERIMENTAL E TECNOLOGICA · OeirasPortugal
ITA-SUOMEN YLIOPISTO · KUOPIOFinland
KLINIKUM DER UNIVERSITAET ZU KOELN · KoelnGermany
LATVIJAS ORGANISKAS SINTEZES INSTITUTS · RigaLatvia
NOVALIQ GMBH · HeidelbergGermany
Quintessence · BrusselsUnknown Region
Riga Technical University · RigaUnknown Region
SORBONNE UNIVERSITE · ParisFrance
SYMERES NETHERLANDS BV · NijmegenNetherlands
UNIVERSIDAD DE VALLADOLID · VALLADOLIDSpain
UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA · LisboaPortugal

IT-DED3 · Integrated Training in Dry Eye Disease Drug Development (IT-DED3)

Results in brief

Integrated Training in Dry Eye Disease Drug Development (IT-DED3)

Project objective

Participants

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