How the biobank.cy Center of Excellence is advancing personalised medicine

Experts make the case for sustained EU funding for global health, as R&I in neglected areas can deliver significant societal and economic returns

In 2026, the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking will fund up to €147 million in research and innovation projects tackling tuberculosis, lower respiratory tract infections, HIV and climate-change-driven infectious diseases, among other topics. The calls for proposals opened for submission on 14 January 2026. 

Europe is striving to be a prime location for testing and bringing new medicines to market, but experts say fragmentation, inconsistent interpretation of legislation, and lack of incentives stand in the way.

Launched in 2003 in response to the Millennium Development Goals and more recently the Sustainable Development Goals, the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) has supported groundbreaking innovations like paediatric HIV and tuberculosis medicines, malaria vaccines and treatments, as well as treatments for neglected tropical diseases. These advances are saving and improving lives and strengthening global health security.

Co-authored by: 
Martin Fitchet, Executive Director of Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), 
Luis Pizarro, Executive Director of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), and 
Marina Gold, Executive Director of Mundo Sano.

Europe aims to boost its global competitiveness in health and life sciences by developing human-centred and highly-personalised AI-based solutions