IMI teams with C-Path

The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) and the Critical Path Institute (C-Path) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to encourage information sharing between the two organisations.

Europe-based IMI and C-Path, based in the US, share similar objectives focused on accelerating the development of safer, more effective medicines for patients. The organisations bring together scientists and academic institutions, as well as representatives from patient organisations, small and medium-sized companies and regulatory agencies, by forming precompetitive public–private partnerships.

The collaboration will foster increased information sharing regarding each organisation's programmes and create a mechanism to exchange knowledge and develop scientific consensus regarding research and testing methods.

In the key area of drug safety, discussions for such a knowledge exchange are ongoing. The SAFE-T consortium, supported by IMI and the Predictive Safety Testing Consortium led by the Critical Path Institute, are working on the development of new biomarkers to predict, diagnose and monitor drug-induced injury to the liver, the kidneys and the vascular system in the clinical setting. In a statement the organisations said: “Increased collaboration between the international consortia could create important synergies and lead to better results for both projects, for instance, in their interaction with the European and US regulatory authorities EMA and FDA.”