EUPATI: Collaboration between patients, academia and industry to champion the informed patient in the research and development of medicines

Abstract

The value of collaborations and partnerships between different stakeholders to achieve optimum outcomes in the medicines research and development process is being recognised. Historically, there has been a lack of collaboration with patients and many research consortiums consisting mainly of academia and/or industry partners. Although patient experts are able to bring valuable first-hand experience and insights, they might not possess detailed knowledge about medicines research and development to actively participate in the collaboration process. The European Patients’ Academy on Therapeutic Innovation (EUPATI) was established to deliver training to patient experts, and education resourcesto patient advocates and members of the health-interested public across Europe. EUPATI was launched in February 2012 and is a patient-led Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) project, with a multi-stakeholder consortium of patient advocates, academia, industry and not-for-profit organisations. Training and educational materials will be used for capacity building among patients, for educating patient advocates and for informing the health-interested public. The successful uptake of EUPATI’s materials will hopefully translate into a new paradigm of increased patient involvement across the entire medicines research and development process, bringing mutual benefits, including better medicines, to all stakeholders.