IM2PACT

Investigating mechanisms and models predictive of accessibility of therapeutics (IM2PACT) into the brain

Summary

As the name suggests, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) tightly controls access to our brains, allowing nutrients and essential substances through, but blocking pathogens, for example. Getting medicines through this protective shield is a major challenge for drug developers, particularly those developing biopharmaceuticals, which are based on large molecules like proteins and antibodies. The goal of IM2PACT is to advance our understanding of the BBB to facilitate the development of more effective treatments for a range of neurological and metabolic disorders. Specifically, the project aims to develop better models of the BBB so that researchers can study it more easily; investigate the biology of the BBB in both health and disease, and the transport routes across it; and to develop innovative systems capable of delivering medicines to the brain. The project will focus on two major disease areas: neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer and Parkinson’s diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease and motor neurone disease), vascular dementia, and multiple sclerosis; and metabolism-related diseases (mainly diabetes and obesity).

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Participants

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EFPIA companies
  • Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics Inc, Madison, United States
  • H. Lundbeck As, Valby, Denmark
  • Janssen Pharmaceutica Nv, Beerse, Belgium
  • Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
  • Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsvaerd, Denmark
  • Pfizer Limited, Sandwich, Kent , United Kingdom
  • Sanofi-Aventis Recherche & Developpement, Chilly Mazarin, France
Universities, research organisations, public bodies, non-profit groups
  • Aarhus Universitet, Aarhus C, Denmark
  • Academisch Ziekenhuis Leiden, Leiden, Netherlands
  • Ait Austrian Institute Of Technology GMBH, Wien, Austria
  • Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
  • Kobenhavns Universitet, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Medizinische Universitaet Wien, Vienna, Austria
  • Ruprecht-Karls-Universitaet Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
  • Stichting Amsterdam Umc, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Stiftung Tieraerztliche Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany
  • The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
  • The University Of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
  • Universita Degli Studi Di Modena E Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
  • Universitaetsklinikum Wuerzburg - Klinikum Der Bayerischen Julius-Maximilians-Universitat, Wuerzburg, Germany
  • Universitaetsmedizin Der Johannes Gutenberg-Universitaet Mainz, Mainz, Germany
  • University Of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
  • University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
  • Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala, Sweden
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-sized companies (<€500 m turnover)
  • Artemis Bio-Support B.V., Utrecht, Netherlands
  • Mimetas BV, Leiden, Netherlands
  • Neuway Pharma GMBH, Bonn, Germany
  • Pharmacoidea Fejleszto Es Szolgaltato Kft, Szeged, Hungary

Participants
NameEU funding in €
Aarhus Universitet553 966
Academisch Ziekenhuis Leiden297 500
Ait Austrian Institute Of Technology GMBH403 694
Artemis Bio-Support B.V.290 380
Cardiff University326 110
Kobenhavns Universitet602 199
Medizinische Universitaet Wien208 599
Mimetas BV251 813
Neuway Pharma GMBH112 500
Pharmacoidea Fejleszto Es Szolgaltato Kft300 059
Ruprecht-Karls-Universitaet Heidelberg290 188
Stichting Amsterdam Umc290 438
Stiftung Tieraerztliche Hochschule Hannover290 313
The Open University232 284
The University Of Sheffield249 305
Universita Degli Studi Di Modena E Reggio Emilia67 565
Universitaetsklinikum Wuerzburg - Klinikum Der Bayerischen Julius-Maximilians-Universitat293 719
Universitaetsmedizin Der Johannes Gutenberg-Universitaet Mainz288 661
University Of Dundee354 009
University of Oxford2 183 451
Uppsala Universitet1 113 250
Total Cost9 000 003