SIMPATHIC

The SIMPATHIC Consortium, led by the Dutch Radboud University Medical Center and Amsterdam University Medical Centers, has developed a new approach to expedite the use of existing drugs for groups of patients with rare neurological disorders. The consortium has been awarded an 8.8 million euros grant from the Horizon Europe program to further develop this innovative method. SIMPATHIC Consortium receives grant from European Commission.

Drug repurposing—finding new treatments using existing drugs—has the potential to bring much-needed therapies to patients with rare neurological diseases faster and more affordably than traditional drug development. The SIMPATHIC project focuses on this goal, targeting rare neurological, neurometabolic, and neuromuscular diseases. By developing treatments for groups of patients with different genetic diagnoses but similar symptoms, SIMPATHIC aims to deliver more personalised therapies in a time- and cost-effective way.

SIMPATHIC’s innovative approach includes using advanced stem-cell-based models for testing, identifying promising drug candidates, and designing “basket trials” that evaluate therapies across different rare conditions with shared symptoms. Additionally, the project emphasises co-creation of regulatory and patient access strategies to ensure that therapies can reach patients more easily.

EUPATI plays a key role in SIMPATHIC by empowering patients and patient organisations to actively contribute to drug repurposing. EUPATI will develop an online course as part of its patient expert training program to equip patients with knowledge and skills to co-create therapies with researchers. This course aims to make patients true partners in developing treatments that focus on the outcomes that matter most to them.

Learn more about the project: https://simpathic.eu/?page_id=368