The next ERDERA Knowledge Exchange Meeting, taking place on 25–26 November in Riga, will focus on drug repurposing for Rare Diseases, with particular attention to opportunities for Underrepresented Countries (UCs). Participants will explore the drug repurposing pathway, patient-centred approaches, European initiatives and concrete examples from ERDERA-funded projects and national rare disease communities. Interactive discussions will address local barriers, practical solutions and opportunities to build future collaborations within European networks. The meeting will conclude with closing remarks and next steps.
The meeting will offer both online and in-person participation. Registration link coming soon!
Programme
ERDERA Knowledge Exchange Meeting on Drug Repurposing for Rare Diseases
25–26 November, Riga East University hospital, (Hipokrāta iela 2, Rīga) Latvia
Day 1 — 25 November
| Time | Title | Speakers / details |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | ||
| 13.30–14:00 | Coffee break | |
| ERDERA Introduction Session A short opening session to introduce ERDERA, its role in rare disease research, and the support landscape available across Europe. |
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| 14:00–14.10 | Welcome | Baiba Lāce. Clinical geneticist and Head of the Genetics Department at Riga East University Hospital; ERDERA WP24 ST 24.1 lead. |
| 14.10-14.30 | Introductory presentation explaining ERDERA’s overall strategy and why drug repurposing is relevant within the broader rare disease ecosystem
(On-line) |
Daria Julkowska. ERDERA scientific coordinator. |
| 14:30–14:50 | Presentation of the ERDERA Public-Private Collaboration Accelerator (PPCA)
(On-line) |
Xavier Merit. ERDERA Coordination. |
| 14.50-15.00 | WP24: Objectives, Activities and Expected Outcomes: | Gonçalo Teixeira. ERDERA WP24 Lead for Underrepresented Countries. |
| Drug Repurposing: Concepts and Applications This session will exchange practical knowledge on how existing medicines can be explored for new uses in rare diseases, from early identification of opportunities to routes toward patient access. |
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| 15:00–15:20 | Drug repurposing for rare diseases: opportunities and impact
(On-line) |
Claudia Fuchs / Zoe Alahouzou. EURORDIS representatives working in the rare disease field, including Horizon Europe project REMEDi4ALL and patient-centred approaches to drug repurposing. |
| 15:20–15:50 | From discovery to patient access: the repurposing pathway: | Rick Thompson. CEO of Beacon for Rare Diseases, with long-standing experience in developing drug repurposing work and supporting rare disease communities. |
| 15:50–16.10 | Q&A | |
| 16.10- 16:30 | Coffee break | |
| European drug repurposing initiatives and collaboration This session will provide a knowledge exchange platform for European initiatives to present their approaches, discuss practical collaboration models, and explore how underrepresented countries can connect with ongoing repurposing activities. It will also highlight how these platforms and networks may support the development of collaborations and project ideas for future ERDERA Joint Transnational Calls. |
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| 16:30–16:50 | REPO4EU | Harald H.H.W. Schmidt. REPO4EU representative presenting mechanism-based drug repurposing and its potential to reduce time and cost in drug development. |
| 16:50–17:10 | EATRIS / REMEDi4ALL | Anton Ussi. EATRIS ERIC / REMEDi4ALL. Operations & Finance Director at EATRIS ERIC, specialising in public-public and public-private collaboration for translational medicine. |
| 17:10–17:40 | Panel discussion: How can underrepresented countries engage with European repurposing initiatives? | Panellists: Rick Thompson, Anton Ussi and Harald H.H.W. Schmidt
Moderator: Gonçalo Teixeira Format: Moderated discussion and open exchange with participants. |
| Informal get-together | ||
Day 2 — 26 November
| Time | Title | Speakers / details |
|---|---|---|
| Experiences in Underrepresented Countries This session will highlight successful examples of drug repurposing from underrepresented countries and disease communities. |
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| 09:20–09:40 | Advancing rare disease drug repurposing through collaborative preclinical research: | Edgars Liepins. Leading Researcher, The National Institute of Research and Innovation (NIRI), Latvia. |
| 09:40–10:00 | SATB2 syndrome treatment example, Slovenia | Dunja Urbančič. SATB2 Europe. Representative involved in rare disease patient and clinical activities related to SATB2 syndrome. |
| 10:00–10:20 | PACS2 syndrome example, Poland | Dominik Cysewski. PACS2 Research Foundation / Medical University of Bialystok. Representative of PACS2 syndrome research and patient-driven activities in Poland. |
| 10.20-10.40 | RADICAL-CDG Repurposing medication, Advancing delivery, and Deploying Innovative Chemistry to Aid the Lives of patients with Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation: | Hana Hansikova (TBC). First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Department of Pediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Diseases (Czechia) |
| 10.40-11.00 | MSD (multiple sulfatase deficiency) Action experience, Ireland: | Alan Finglas, MSD Action. Alan Finglas is a patient advocate who founded MSD Action Foundation after his son was diagnosed with multiple sulfatase deficiency. |
| 11:00–11:30 | Panel Discussion: Local Bottlenecks and Shared Solutions. Building Future Collaborations
An interactive discussion on the main barriers to advancing drug repurposing locally, with a focus on exchanging practical solutions, stakeholder perspectives and opportunities for European alignment. |
Panellists: Dunja Urbančič, Dominik Cysewski, Hana Hansikova, Alan Finglas
Moderator: Edgars Liepins |
| 11:30 | Closing remarks and next steps | |
| 11:30-12:00 | Coffee break, end of event | |
Learn more about ERDERA’s International Capacity Alignment efforts and they balance progress with global benchmarks, harvesting national insight, integrating proven methods, and circulating new advances across borders.