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<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><SPAN class=098563415-03062008>FYI</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><SPAN class=098563415-03062008></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><SPAN class=098563415-03062008></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><SPAN class=098563415-03062008></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></B></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><SPAN class=098563415-03062008>PRESS RELEASE: E</SPAN>DCTP approves ¤ <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:metricconverter w:st="on" ProductID="80 M">80 M</st1:metricconverter> of funding to boost HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria research<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) has approved over ¤ 80 million for research into prevention of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in <st1:place w:st="on">Africa</st1:place>. This sum is the highest amount of EDCTP funding approved to date. The approval marks an increase of European investment in research into the three poverty-related diseases and is expected to significantly enhance cooperation between European and African researchers.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">EDCTP is a partnership of 14 <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">European</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Member</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">States</st1:PlaceType> plus <st1:country-region w:st="on">Norway</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Switzerland</st1:place></st1:country-region> and sub-Saharan countries. The Partnership aims to reduce the global burden of HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria by pooling resources for conducting clinical trials in sub-Saharan <st1:place w:st="on">Africa</st1:place>. The current approval of funding consists of a contribution from the European Commission of ¤ <st1:metricconverter w:st="on" ProductID="40 M">40 M</st1:metricconverter>, to be matched by <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">European</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Member</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">States</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> and third parties. The projects involve 12 European countries and 22 sub-Saharan African countries. Funding was approved in the following areas:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Tuberculosis Vaccines<o:p></o:p></SPAN>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Malaria Treatment<o:p></o:p></SPAN>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Malaria in Pregnancy<o:p></o:p></SPAN>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Malaria Vaccines<o:p></o:p></SPAN>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Ethics review capacity<o:p></o:p></SPAN>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">WHO regulatory affairs<o:p></o:p></SPAN>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Networks of Excellence<o:p></o:p></SPAN>
<LI class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Senior Fellowships<o:p></o:p></SPAN></LI></UL>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Additional funding in the areas of HIV treatment, vaccines and microbicides, TB treatment and Networks of Excellence is expected to be approved in the second half of 2008.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">The projects on TB and malaria that will be funded combine clinical trials with capacity building and networking activities. By integrating these activities EDCTP aims to enhance sustainability of conducting clinical trials on the African continent. A number of projects focuses on creating and developing capacity for ethics review of clinical trials and of enhancing the regulatory framework needed for approval of medicines in <st1:place w:st="on">Africa</st1:place>. This enables African countries to conduct high-quality and ethically sound clinical trials, and to assess the safety and efficacy of all medicines that enter the African market.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">EU Member State commitment and African leadership very encouraging<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">European Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik underlined the integration of policies achieved by the partnership: "This decision from the EDCTP General Assembly shows the commitment of the participating countries and the European Commission in the fight against the three main poverty-related diseases in and for <st1:place w:st="on">Africa</st1:place>. We're confident that our cooperation with African researchers<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>will make a difference".<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: NL; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Prof. <st1:PersonName w:st="on" ProductID="Charles Mgone">Charles Mgone</st1:PersonName>, EDCTP's executive director expressed the significance of the approval when he said: "This is a very significant milestone for collaboration between north and south in the fight against the three main diseases of poverty namely HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. It is also very gratifying to note that among the 26 projects approved for funding 22 have African scientists based in <st1:place w:st="on">Africa</st1:place> as their principal investigators. This underscores EDCTP's objective of fostering a genuine partnership and enhancing clinical research capacity in <st1:place w:st="on">Africa</st1:place>."</SPAN></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>