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Innovative Medicines Initiative to put €117m into Covid-19 projects

Funding will be split between diagnostics and treatments

Eight projects to develop diagnostics and treatments for Covid-19 are to receive a total of €117 million from the EU’s Innovative Medicines Initiative public-private partnership.

“With this funding from Horizon 2020 and our industry and other partners, we are speeding up the development of coronavirus diagnostics and treatments, essential tools that we need to tackle the global emergency,” EU research commissioner Mariya Gabriel announced on 12 May.

The money includes an additional €27m from the EU’s Horizon 2020 R&D programme, on top of a previously announced €45m. The other €45m comes from the pharmaceutical industry and other organisations involved with the Innovative Medicines Initiative.

The funding will support eight large-scale R&D projects, with €35m going to five diagnostics projects and €82m to three treatment projects.

One of the diagnostics projects aims to develop a test that can be used “almost anywhere” and deliver results in 15 minutes or less. 

One treatment project aims to identify drugs that could be used to tackle Covid-19 and future coronavirus outbreaks. Another will trial the efficacy and safety of an existing generic drug, called imatinib, for treating lung inflammation in people with Covid-19.

Ninety-four organisations will participate in the projects, of which the Commission said 20 per cent are small and medium enterprises.