Pierre Meulien, director of the Innovative Medicines Initiative wants to see pooling of international research efforts to help curb the spread of COVID-19 and develop treatments for the respiratory infection it causes

The European Commission boosts research funding and selects 17 projects in vaccine development, treatment and diagnostics

Experience from previous health crises shows it takes some time for EU research programmes to produce outcomes

Leaders of six top European research organisations say COVID-19 epidemic highlights need for broader, sustained research into virology, vaccines and the impact of globalisation on the spread of infections

The call is part of a wider strategy announced by the European Commission to contain the outbreak of COVID-19