Special Call 2023: Repurposing therapies for EB
underwritten by EB Resnet member DEBRA Austria and LifeArc
About the call - EOI CLOSED
LifeArc and DEBRA Austria are partnering to commit £2.5 million to fund projects to develop therapeutics with a clear rationale for use in any type of Epidermolysis Bullosa, noting CIF (chronic inflammation, fibrosis) and cancer initiation as priority areas. This joint initiative is part of LifeArc’s Translational Challenge in Rare Disease and follows a joint workshop organised on 26th May 2023.
This Special call will seek innovative proposals to develop therapeutics for severe unmet needs that can be brought rapidly to EB patients. Chronic inflammation and non-healing wounds, and the consequent fibrosis and skin cancer initiation in severe disease subtypes, are a clear unmet need for people with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). LifeArc and DEBRA Austria are holding a joint call for projects to progress therapeutics that can be repurposed / repositioned towards clinical testing, to deliver:
- Increased resolution of non-healing wounds
- Prevention and/or reduction of chronic inflammation
- Inhibition and/or reduction of fibrosis
- Decreased risk of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) initiation in EB
The funding round will be organized in a two-stage application process, with an EOI submission in the summer.
Timeline
Application step | Date |
Call for EOI opens | in the week of 10 July 2023 |
Deadline for EOI submission | 10 September 2023 - CLOSED |
Shortlisted EOI applicants invited to submit full applications; call for full applications opens | 04 October 2023 |
Deadline for full application submission | 04 December 2023 |
Funding decision, and successful applicants notified of outcome | By 1 April 2024 |
Project start | By 01 July 2024 |
All details, EOI application template & guidance document for submission are provided on LifeArc's website.
Related news articles: Joint funding call & Prioritization workshop on EB unmet medical needs.
