Save the Date: ACCELERATE Conference

27/10/2016
save-the-date-postcardThe 2017 edition of the ACCELERATE Paediatric Conference will take place on 2-3 March 2017 in Brussels, Belgium. Although innovative therapies could save many young lives, less than 1 in 10 children in relapse with a terminal cancer has access today to these types of medicines, and investment in paediatric oncology drug development is insufficient. Paediatric drug development is currently regulated in Europe via the EU Paediatric Regulation (EC) No 1901/2006: although this piece of legislation improved the situation, the current system allows pharmaceutical companies to derogate from the obligation to investigate the paediatric use of new oncology compounds, and it overlooks the potentially life-saving use of a drug for an adult type of cancer (which may be relevant to a malignant type that only occurs in children). Furthermore, delays in starting paediatric investigation plans and insufficient incentives to pharmaceutical companies represent potential barriers. Members of the ACCELERATE platform – including SIOPE and the Unite2Cure network of parents, parent organisations and patient advocates – jointly proposed some amendments to this Regulation to speed up innovation in this field. The Platform managed to convey this urgent message also to the European Union at the highest levels – including the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety – and to raise awareness on the ACCELERATE proposals in different settings, such as the recent conference ‘Review of the EU Paediatric Medicines Regulation – Let’s do more for children with cancer’, 7 September 2016 at the European Parliament. If you are interested in this field, would like to know more about the proposals from the platform and share new initiatives in clinical development to accelerate new oncology drug development, come and join us at the next ACCELERATE Conference on 2-3 March 2017 in Brussels, Belgium. More information: