Cardiovascular disease and arthritis among topics of new IHI funding round

‘This call for proposals is an excellent opportunity to be part of ambitious projects tackling major challenges in health research and innovation. What’s more, the collaborative nature of our projects makes them a great place to learn from and network with experts from different disciplines and sectors.’

 - Dr Niklas Blomberg, IHI Executive Director

The topics launched under IHI call 8 are:

Combatting cardiovascular disease in cities

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide, accounting for some 18 million deaths a year. Around three quarters of the EU population lives in urban areas, where the risks of developing CVD are heightened by factors such as pollution, the lack of green spaces, and stressful lifestyles. Improving the management of CVD in cities would benefit the health of many people. The goal of this topic is to identify and create models, interventions and best practice to improve the management of CVD in Europe’s cities. These models should cover healthcare delivery (i.e. prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment), as well as individual lifestyle changes and the living environment. Pilot studies in five cities will generate evidence for the wider use of the models.

Using big data to make progress on osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) occurs when the cartilage and other tissues in our joints deteriorate, resulting in pain and stiffness. There is no cure, and it is a major cause of disability. Studies suggest that there may be several different types of OA. The aim of this topic is to use a big data approach to improve our understanding of OA and identify subgroups of patients who may benefit from different treatment approaches. It should also pave the way for regulatory recognition of measures capable of predicting the course of the disease and assessing responses to treatment.

‘Regulatory sandboxes’ to support breakthrough innovation

Rapid advances in research are delivering novel approaches to healthcare that don’t fit in with existing regulatory frameworks. ‘Regulatory sandboxes’ are spaces where innovators and regulators can collaborate and explore the best way to regulate a new technology in such a way that end users are protected, while innovations are not held back by the lack of an existing regulatory framework. In the health sector, regulatory sandboxes are still in their infancy, and this topic is expected to scan healthcare innovations for potential candidates for regulatory sandboxes and analyse how they could drive science and health technology innovation in an evolving environment. The topic is also expected to deliver recommendations on how regulatory sandboxes could be implemented and used to inform innovators, regulators and other decision-makers.

Understanding how best to capture what matters to patients

In clinical research, there are a number of ways of assessing the impact of a therapy on how a patient actually feels and functions. These include patient preference information (PPI), clinical outcome assessments (COAs) such as patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), and digital health technology (DHT) derived measures. Because these measures are complementary, the most accurate insights into the benefits of a therapy for patients will likely come from combining them, but this is far from easy. The aim of this topic is to develop a framework and recommendations for using multiple types of patient-centred information in combination in clinical studies, to ensure that therapies genuinely address patients’ needs and make a meaningful difference to their lives.

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