IMI 2 launches with a €3.3 billion budget

O, the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) enters its second phase with a €3.3 billion budget and the ambitious goal of fast-tracking the development of the next generation of medicines, especially in areas where there is an unmet medical or societal need. The IMI 2 Strategic Research Agenda, which draws heavily on the World Health Organization (WHO) report ‘Priority Medicines for Europe and the World’, will also place a greater emphasis on speeding up patient access to new medicines. IMI is a public-private partnership (PPP) between the European Commission and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). The IMI 2 programme will build on the successes of IMI’s first phase (2008-2013), which has delivered breakthroughs in areas as diverse as diabetes, autism, and medicines safety, and will expand the partnership to all players in the health ecosystem.