The Forward Look topic 'Non-commercial clinical studies' (FL 07-01) proposed by the Standing Committee of the EMRC was approved by the Governing Council in April 2007. It is launched under the chairmanship of Professor Jürgen Schölmerich, Regensburg, Vice-president of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) with the support of two Co-chairs, Prof. Håkan Billig (SRC, SE) and Prof. Roger Bouillon (FWO, BE).  The Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the USA is also supportive of this important undertaking.

This activity renamed 'Investigator-Driven Clinical Trials' for more clarity will develop in 2008 and lead to a Consensus Conference under the label of the French Presidency of the European Union on 29-30 September 2008, Strasbourg, FR. It will be followed by the publishing of a report highlighting the key recommendations on how to better coordinate the various national and European initiatives in this domain and overall strengthen investigator-driven clinical trials in Europe in an international perspective.

Towards this goal, five strategic workshops were organized in 2008 to address the following issues:

1. Categories and design of Investigator Driven Clinical Trials

    31^st March 2008, Strasbourg (FR)   

    Chair: Professor Harry Janssen, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam (NL)

    Co-Chair: Professor Jacques Demotes, ECRIN (FR)

2. Regulatory and Legal Issues, IPR and Data Sharing
    28^th May 2008, London (UK)
    Chair: Professor Sally Davies, Department of Health, London (UK)
    Co-Chair: Professor Jacques Demotes, ECRIN (FR)

3. Management of Investigator-Driven Clinical Trials
    29^th May 2008, London (UK)
    Chair: Professor Janet Darbyshire, MRC Clinical Trials Unit and UK Clinical Research

    Network, London (UK)
    Co-Chair: Professor Stefan Bielack, Olga Hospital (DE)

4. Education, Training, Career and Authorship
    7^th April 2008, Strasbourg (FR)   

    Chair: Professor Eero Vuorio, University of Turku, Turku (FI)
    Co-Chair: Professor Pierre Lafolie, Karolinska Institutet (SE)

5. Funding and Models of Partnerships
    8^th April 2008, Strasbourg (FR)   

    Chair: Professor Christian Bréchot, Vice President for Medical and Scientific
    Affairs, Mérieux Alliance, Lyon (FR)
    Co-Chair: Professor Richard Sullivan, ECRM London School of Economics & Political
     Science (UK)