Switzerland plays a vital role in European research projects. By providing regulatory support for European clinical trials, participating in a pan-European platform for pandemic research and preparedness, and collaborating on a joint publication about sharing sensitive data, our network helps to ensure the success of research projects across Europe.
The European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ECRIN) and the SCTO were very pleased to announce that Switzerland officially became an ECRIN European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) member country on 22 May 2023. With the transition of Switzerland to an ECRIN member, ECRIN’s network now counts 12 member countries and one observer country. The total reach of the ECRIN network covers over 361 million European citizens, with an average of 6.5 countries participating in each trial.
The TREOCAPA study, which aims to assess the effectiveness of paracetamol on the closure of the ductus arteriosus in very preterm infants, is being performed in Zurich, Geneva, and Lausanne. Zurich was the first centre in Europe that recruited patients and is the centre with the highest recruitment rate. SwissPedNet and the CTU Network contributed to the study, with SwissPedNet recruiting clinical hubs and the CTUs being service providers. The study is part of the pan-European paediatric clinical trial network c4c (conect4children). The Swiss Research Network of Clinical Pediatric Hubs (SwissPedNet) is the Swiss hub in the c4c consortium and therefore the contact point for all c4c activities as well as the link to the Swiss paediatric study sites within SwissPedNet.
The EU-RESPONSE project (EUropean RESearch and Preparedness netwOrk for pandemics and emerging iNfectious diseaSEs) launched several clinical trials to test treatments for COVID-19 and other emerging infectious diseases. One of these projects is the EU-SolidAct, a pan-European platform for pandemic research and preparedness, which is currently investigating the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19 with baricitinib and the treatment of patients with moderate COVID-19 with bemcentinib. The trials were recruiting patients in 14 countries, and Switzerland received regulatory approval to join them. However, due to decreasing numbers of patients, both trials have been put on hold.