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Research networks: a European strategy to combat major brain diseases

April 10, 2003

11 April is World Parkinson's Disease day

EU research to improve the quality of life of Parkinson's Disease sufferers is highlighted for World Parkinson's Disease Day by European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin. The Commission is funding the EUR1.7 million "EuroPa" network for clinical research and treatment of Parkinson's disease. EuroPa brings together clinical centres in Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It aims to look into the underlying causes and possible new therapies to combat brain diseases.

"Parkinson's disease affects over 500,000 patients across Europe, a number that is continually growing due to the ageing population," said European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin. "EU research can help to improve the quality of life of people affected by this debilitating disorder. The creation of research networks to pool European resources will enable the EU to maximise its expertise, making real breakthroughs in finding solutions for this disease."

EuroPa - the European Co-operative Network for research, diagnosis and therapy of Parkinson's disease - aims to improve clinical research and treatment of Parkinson's disease in Europe by networking expertise and resources of highly qualified clinical centres in various European countries. "Through the EuroPa network, co-operation between leading specialists in the field of movement disorders, in particular Parkinson's disease, will reach a new level", says Wolfgang Oertel of Philipps-University Marburg (Germany), the co-ordinator of the project.

Initially, the EuroPa network will associate clinical centres from 11 countries. It is planned to transfer the network into an independent organisation that will pursue EuroPa's mission beyond the EU funding period. Specialists at clinical centres from other European countries will then be able to join the network. EuroPa will also collaborate with other research networks, such as the European MSA Study Group that is also funded by the EU and focuses on Multiple System Atrophy, a movement disorder related to Parkinson's Disease.

Sharing information and resources

EuroPa will set up a multinational research and clinical trial network based on Internet technology. A key outcome will be the central patient registry that will facilitate finding patients suitable for multicentre studies. Medical data will be stored under pseudonyms at a central server. Personal data of consenting patients will remain at the medical centres in accordance with personal data protection guidelines and will be used to re-identify potential clinical trial participants.

"Combining the knowledge and resources of all participants with a growing data base of precise medical data will speed up and improve clinical research. A growing number of patients will increasingly benefit from the spread of good clinical practice in all participating countries and the faster development of new treatment options for Parkinson's Disease." emphasises Olivier Rascol, the French partner in EuroPa.

Socio-economic impact

Parkinson's disease is not only an individual burden and medical challenge but also a growing economic concern. According to a recent study in Germany, direct costs for Parkinson's disease therapy per year run up to 6.000 Euro and make Parkinson's disease one of the most expensive brain disorders known.

The EuroPa network also supports economic evaluations and comparative analysis of patient care for Parkinson's disease. "In the long run, patient care can only be improved if the interests of all parties - patients, physicians, health insurance organisations, pharmaceutical industry - are taken into account", says Richard Dodel (Bonn) who is in charge for conducting the research on health economics within EuroPa.

Research networks

In the 6th Framework Programme brain research is funded via the new instruments "Integrated Projects" and "Networks of Excellence" that provide better ways to tackle brain diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease but also psychiatric disorders. Identifying their causes can pave the way for novel therapeutic strategies. In addition, such large-scale research projects will also address basic research such as brain development or learning and memory.

European Commission, Research Directorate