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DISCONTOOLS UpdateCWG Meeting, Rome, 30th January 2015

Johannes Charlier, DISCONTOOLS Project Manager

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Content• Summary of activities in 2014

– Update progress 12 prioritised diseases– Communications– Website– Funding

• Activities planned in 2015

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About DISCONTOOLS– Objective: Develop and maintain a database

containing critical information relevant to research needs in terms of knowledge gaps in relation to diagnostics, vaccines and pharmaceuticals.

– Output is Public website containing disease information for 52 infectious diseases with gap analysis and prioritisation model.

– Contributes to consensus across stakeholders concerning gaps and priorities to spend scarce research resources

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12 diseases in focus (1)• Existing - AI, ASF, BTB, Campylobacter,

Cysticercosis, E. coli, FMD, Nematodes, ParaTB, PRRS, SIV

• New – PEDV• List determined by funders with offer to work on

Cysticercosis & PEDV

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Expert group leadersDisease Expert group leader appointed

AI Timm Harder

ASF José Sanchez-Vizcaino

BT Margarida Correia Neves

Campylobacter Elina Lahti and Ingrid Hansson

Cysticercosis Pierre Dorny

E.coli Roberto La Ragione

FMD David Paton

Nematodes Jozef Vercruysse

ParaTB Herman Barkema

PEDV Hans Nauwynck

PRRS Hans Nauwynck

SIV Kristien Van Reeth

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We developed online scoring system for gap analysis and prioritisation model

• Supports expert group leaders in collecting the information

• www.soscisurvey.de/DISCONTOOLS

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Progress for the 12 diseases (1)Disease EG leader

agreed to do the work

EG established

Final documents when?

ASF yes yes Finished

ParaTB yes yes Expected February

Nematodes yes yes Expected February

FMD yes yes Expected February

E. coli yes yes Expected February-March

BTB yes yes Applied for funding FORMAS

Campylobacter yes yes Considering to apply for funding FORMAS (March 2015)

AI yes yes Expected 2015

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Progress for the 12 diseases (2)Disease EG leader

agreed to do the work

EG established

Final documents when?

Cysticercosis yes Expected 2015

SIV yes Expected 2015

PRRSV yes Expected 2015

PEDV Yes Expected 2015

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Communication materials• Poster was developed which can be used to

present DISCONTOOLS activities at several occasions

• Leaflet was developed explaining the current work of DISCONTOOLS (will be sent upon request)

• Scientific paper was not accepted by Prev. Vet. Med., now being considered for submission to Scientific and Technical Review of OIE

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Conferences• DISCONTOOLS was presented at

– CYSTINET conference (4-5 Sep 2014, Antwerp), presentation

– PROVAXS seminar “Innovation in animal health through academia-industry partnerships” (4th Nov 2014, Ghent), poster

• Next planned conferences– SVEPM conference (March, Ghent), poster– WAAVP conference (August, Liverpool), poster

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Website (1)• User statistics:

– > 6000 visitors in 2014 (± 500 / month).– worldwide coverage

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Website (2)• We are investing to make the database easier to

consult and include graphical display of prioritisation model.

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Funding (1)• Countries having agreed to make a provision for 2015

Contributed in 2014 Made Provision for 2015

Austria Yes

Greece Yes

Ireland

Italy Yes

Switzerland Yes

The Netherlands Yes

UK – DEFRA

UK - BBSRC (meetings)

Sweden – FORMAS (meetings)

New: Spain

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Funding (2)• Last funders meeting: Alex Morrow to explore

collaboration with OIE• In addition, we are considering a COST

application (Deadline 24st March 2015)

“Novel approaches for the prioritization of research on neglected and emerging

diseases of animals”

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Work programme 2015 (1)

• Continue work with expert groups to update the D&Ps and scoring sheets

• Review and finalise the updated documents for approval by PMB and funders

• Organize PMB meeting• Load the approved information on the website

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Work programme 2015 (2)

• Identify new diseases to initiate the updating procedure, liaising as much as possible with existing initiatives– Brucellosis (recent gap analysis performed, cfr.

Alex Morrow)– Leishmaniasis? (New Marie-Curie Training

Network)– Other ?

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Conclusions

• Significant progress has been made for the 12 prioritised diseases, although for some diseases progress is more slow than anticipated (EG leaders “overbooked”).

• Need to identify new diseases to initiate the reviewing process, by preference liaising with existing initiatives.

• More results to be presented on a next Funder’s meeting in September?

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For more information please consult:

www.discontools.eu

Rue Defacqz, 11000 Brussels, BelgiumTel.: +32 (0)2 543 7570Fax: +32 (0)2 537 0049