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DISCONTOOLS- a method to prioritize animal health research in the E.U.

Johannes Charlier, DISCONTOOLS Project Manager

4th September, 2014

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Summary• DISCONTOOLS

– Origin– Questions tackled– The database– Global hub for disease prioritisation in terms of

research needs– Work Programme

• Conclusions

ETPGAH – Vision to Action Plan

August 2005 May 2006 July 2007

Stakeholders, led by industry, come together

to agree on a common

vision for the technology

Stakeholders, define a

Strategic Research Agenda setting the necessary

mid- to longterm objectives

Stakeholders, implement the

Strategic ResearchAgenda with the mobilisation of

significant humanand financial

resources

Framework Programme 7

Coordination of Funding

April 2008 - 45 months €997,218

Feb 2011 - 48 months €999,130

Jan 2012 - 48 months €2m

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Background• DISCONTOOLS was a Stakeholder driven project

– All European & Global Stakeholders welcomed to join

• 5 Year Project - March, 2008 to February, 2013• Output

– Disease database – 52 diseases– Gap analysis for each disease– Prioritisation model on public website– Methodology to identify & deploy new research

technologies in the animal health research world

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Questions Tackled• How do we decide where to spend scarce

research resources?• Which diseases?• Which gap(s) in each disease?• Priority of whom?

– Research community?– Funders of research?– People at coal face – CVO, Vet, Farmer?– Industry?

www.discontools.eu

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The disease database

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View disease info – control tools

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Disease scoring criteria

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Gap analysis – Diagnostics, vaccines, pharmaceuticals

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Sample report – all diseases ranked by score

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Prioritisation of Epizootic diseases

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Prioritisation of Zoonotic diseases

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Prioritisation of Food producing diseases

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Achievements & Economics• DISCONTOOLS finished on February 28th, 2013• Built consensus across stakeholders• Focus on critical gaps• Agreement on need to continue• Make best use of €400m from public sector &

€400m from private sector • Hasten the arrival of new diagnostics, vaccines &

pharmaceuticals• Disease burden of 20% on animal production

valued at €141b (in EU) – reduce cost by €28b!

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Continuing DISCONTOOLS Work!• Business case made – need € 100,000 per year• Need 14 countries to fund at € 7000 each• 10 countries/funders have committed to date -

others considering• Held meeting of funders in February, 2014• Sufficient funds to re-launch DISCONTOOLS!

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DISCONTOOLS Work in 2014• Commenced DISCONTOOLS work in June, 2014

– Update existing diseases over time– Add new diseases– Refine & further develop model

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12 diseases in focus - 2014• Existing - AI, ASF, BT, Campylobacter,

Cysticercosis, E. coli, FMD, Nematodes, ParaTB, PRRS, SIV

• New – PEDV• List determined by funders with offer to work on

Cysticercosis & PEDV

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Logistics• Expert Groups formed or being formed ideally

including:– laboratory expertise, an epidemiologist, an

industry representative, a diagnostics expert and an individual with economic/trade expertise

• Documents to be updated:– Disease & Product analysis– Gap Analysis– Prioritisation– 2 page summary

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Conclusions - 1• Public website with searchable database• Stakeholder agreed prioritised research gaps• Research agenda for the future has been

established!• Focus funding on prioritised research gaps

– ANIHWA, Horizon 2020, Countries, Industry, Trusts, Foundations, Charities, etc.

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Conclusions - 2• The work of DISCONTOOLS will continue & evolve

driven especially by funders to meet their needs• We should organise the deployment of € 800

million (3 billion globally) in the best way possible!• The prize of hastening the development of new or

better disease control tools is enormous - €28 billion per year in the EU alone!

• We should make DISCONTOOLS our global hub where we pool our resources

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For more information please consult:

www.discontools.eu

Rue Defacqz, 11000 Brussels, BelgiumTel.: +32 (0)2 543 7570Fax: +32 (0)2 537 0049