LERU letter on the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI)
03 September 2010
LERU is very much in favour of the spirit and scientific merit of the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) and considers it a valuable mechanism to overcome the research bottlenecks in the drug development process. LERU warmly welcomes the recent Joint Statement on IMI issued by the European Universities Association (EUA), EARTO et al. in July 2010, agrees with the principles expressed therein and wishes to add some further remarks with regard to financial and IP issues in IMI.Current IMI financial rules, in deviating from the usual FP7 mechanism which funds the public part of IMI, result in loss-making projects for universities and prevent universities from applying full economic costing principles to research funding. We propose that the funding of universities and research organisations in IMI be adjusted at the very least to be in line with FP7 rules. IMI cannot attract the most excellent scientists by underfunding their participation.The way in which Intellectual Property (IP) principles have been defined are a major deterrent to academic participation in IMI. The IP issues detailed in the LERU letter are stumbling blocks in all IMI Project Agreements and need to be addressed urgently at policy level. The third call should not be published without these issues having been resolved.
Download the LERU letter on the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI)
