Irene Norstedt: “The EU supports collaboration because no country alone, and no stakeholder alone, has the answer for such huge unmet needs in rare disease research”
We met Irene Norstedt, Director for the People Directorate at DG Research and Innovation in the European Commission, at the RE(ACT) Congress in Brussels, where she delivered a compelling presentation on diverse funding models targeting different research needs.
RE(ACT) Congress 2025 Concludes with Calls for Stronger Collaboration on Rare Diseases
The 8th RE(ACT) Congress and the 6th IRDiRC (International Rare Diseases Research Consortium) Conference concluded today, marking the end of a three-day summit where scientists, patient advocates, funders, and policymakers tackled the rare disease field’s most pressing challenges.
Rare Disease Day: ERDERA Charts the Path Forward in Collaborative Research
As Rare Disease Day 2025 comes to a close, its impact continues to resonate across Europe and beyond. Held annually on the last day of February, this year’s event drew critical attention to the 30 million people in Europe living with a rare disease, underscoring the urgent need for faster diagnoses, increased research, improved treatments, and stronger policies.
SANT Launches Public Consultation on Rare Diseases
On 28 February, coinciding with the 2025 Rare Disease Day, Parliament’s public health committee, SANT, launched an online survey to gather insights on rare diseases. The initiative aims to build a detailed understanding of the challenges faced by individuals affected by rare diseases, as well as to collect views from stakeholders—including patients, caregivers, industry representatives, and NGOs—to inform future policy and legislative reforms.
EMA warns of unregulated advanced therapies in the EU
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA) have jointly issued a clear warning about unregulated Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs). While these therapies—based on genes, tissues or cells—offer genuine promise, its limited regulation procedures raise serious health and safety concerns. Authorities urge patients to confirm that any ATMP is approved READ MORE