The need for developments within the regenerative medicine field is illustrated by the number of funding opportunities in the H2020 2016-2017 work programme. A common denominator for all of these calls is the presence of in-human data. They provide a highly competitive edge, as only a limited amount of companies and/or research groups were able to perform first in-human experiments to date.

Promising horizon in regenerative medicine and funding opportunities to get there fast

Stem cells have captivated scientists and clinicians for over a century. The term ‘stem cell’ first appeared in 1868, coined by German biologist Ernst Haeckel. From the initial identification of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) to the generation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hIPSCs), today stem cell therapy holds enormous promise in the field of regenerative medicine. The ability to create genetically matched pluripotent cells for patients, avoiding immune system incompatibility and the ethical issues surrounding ESCs, are especially appealing. Today we stand at the beginning of many exciting developments that will reshape treatment strategies in many different disease areas.

Regenerative medicine – a growing field

The last number of years has seen an enormous boom in fundamental research of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. However, translating this basic knowledge into the clinic has proven to be extremely difficult, with only a few examples of success to date. Nonetheless, the global stem cell therapy market is estimated to grow from US$12billion in 2016 to an impressive US$60.94billion in 2022. Notably, this growth is predicted to be driven by advances in therapies targeting CNS/eye diseases; musculoskleletal diseases; cardiovascular diseases; and immune system disorders. We are convinced that increased funding initiatives and expanded R&D activities will be essential to fuel this growth.

Funding opportunities to expedite development in regenerative medicine

The need for developments within the regenerative medicine field is indeed illustrated by the number of funding opportunities in the H2020 2016-2017 work programme. A common denominator for all of these calls is the presence of in-human data. They provide a highly competitive edge, as only a limited amount of companies and/or research groups were able to perform first in-human experiments to date.

SC1-PM-11-2016-2017: Clinical research on regenerative medicine

Proposals should target regenerative medicine therapies which are ready for clinical (in-patient) research and should focus on one specific clinical phase of work. We posit that such funding can lead to the development of novel therapies to currently untreatable diseases, while also stimulating growth and competitiveness in European regenerative medicine.

Euronanomed 8th Joint call

EuroNanoMed aims (i) to support translational research projects that combine innovative approaches in the field of nanomedicine and; (ii) to encourage and enable transnational collaboration between public and private research groups. Project proposals will address multidisciplinary and translational research. Project proposals will need to cover at least one of the following areas that are equal in relevance for this call: regenerative medicine, Diagnostics and targeted delivery systems.

SMEinst-05-2016-2017 Supporting innovative SMEs in the healthcare biotechnology sector

The diversity, complexity and variability of living cells pose challenges for bringing safe, reliable, regulatory-compliant and cost-effective products to the market and to the patient. SMEs developing cell-based products and processes have limited financial resources to take the critical steps to move from proof of concept to practical application while at the same time addressing considerations such as scale-up/scale-out, automation, logistics, regulatory pathways and business models. The medical applications of cell technologies include amongst others; diagnostics and biosensors; cell and gene therapy.

ttopstart can support you

At ttopstart, we are specialised in the support of competitive grant applications in the area of life sciences and we have the expertise to position your regenerative medicine innovations for maximal impact. If you are considering submitting a proposal to the ‘clinical research on regenerative medicine’ call and are seeking support for your project, feel free to contact us.