The European Union has awarded a €22 million (approximately $23 million) grant to an Israeli-led research initiative designed to improve medication adherence for patients with heart disease. The funding, provided by the EU’s Innovative Health Initiative (EU-IHI), will support the development of a new platform to help patients take their prescribed medications consistently and correctly.
The grant was awarded to Dr. Sivan Spitzer, a researcher at Bar-Ilan University’s Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, and her team of experts from six European countries. The initiative, named CAREPATH, aims to enhance medication persistence in patients suffering from cardiometabolic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity.
“This platform is intended not only to improve patient outcomes but also to ensure its relevance across diverse cultural contexts,” said Dr. Spitzer, who also serves as the deputy director of the Russell Berrie Galilee Diabetes SPHERE program at Bar-Ilan. “Our goal is to create a user-friendly, ‘plug-and-play’ toolkit that integrates both digital and physical solutions for improved patient care.”
The CAREPATH program will run for five years and also includes partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies, including Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, and Sanofi. The initiative will feature collaborations with patient organizations across several European countries, including Germany, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden. This multinational effort will involve large-scale studies, hackathons, and evaluations of the system’s effectiveness and economic feasibility.
A key focus of the initiative is addressing the challenges associated with obesity, a condition that contributes to over 200 health complications, such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. By improving medication adherence, the project seeks to empower patients to better manage their conditions and improve their overall quality of life.
“Obesity is a complex, multifaceted disease that demands a long-term, patient-centered approach,” Dr. Spitzer added. “Through CAREPATH, we aim to leverage international collaboration and cutting-edge technology to tackle some of the most urgent health challenges of our time.”
This grant marks Bar-Ilan University’s first funding under the EU-IHI program, a significant milestone for both the institution and the broader Israeli medical research community.
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