EURORDIS - European Rare Diseases Organisation Summer School, 11 - 15 June 2018, Barcelona, Spain

How to apply

The next edition of the EURORDIS Summer School will take place in June 11 - 15 2018 in Barcelona. The application process will open on 16 October 2017. Details on how to apply will be posted on this page. For more information about EURORDIS Summer School please contact Nancy Hamilton nancy.hamilton@eurordis.org.

Content of the programme

The EURORDIS Summer School covers the follow topics:

• Clinical Trials Methodology
• Clinical Research
• Ethical Considerations in Medicines Development
• Regulatory affairs
• Health Technology Assessment
• Marketing Authorisations

Why the Summer School was developed

The Summer School was developed to fill specific needs identified by expert patients, EURORDIS and the European Medicines Agency. Expert patients from EURORDIS are permanent representatives on EMA Scientific Committees and working parties. EURORDIS recognises their need for support and training that includes an overview of clinical research and methodology, medicines development and regulatory procedures.

In 2000, the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) was formed at the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European authorities had the foresight to include patients' representatives as permanent and full members with equal voting rights. Three patients' representatives sit on this committee and the position of Vice-Chair of the COMP has to date always been held by a patients' representative.

Since this time, a working party and three more scientific committees have been created, all of which include patients' representatives:

• Patients' and Consumers' Working Party (PCWP) in 2006
• Paediatric Committee (PDCO) in 2008
• Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) in 2009
• Pharmacovigilance and Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) in 2012

Expert Patients are also frequently solicited for their input on the development of specific products for their disease, e.g.; via the process of Protocol Assistance with the Scientific Advice Working Party (SAWP).

Alumni

To date, the Summer School has trained over 400 participants from more than 40 countries and representing over 70 different diseases. Summer School alumni report an increased awareness of the importance of their involvement in all aspects of medicines development and of their potential to be a real force. Participants also recognise the need for patients' organisations to collaborate internationally as well as the importance of involvement in the activities of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and EURORDIS. The training experience reinforces participants' sense of community, and increases their individual capacities.