FORESIGHT consortium secures €9 million to fast-track drug development
Posted: 24 February 2025 | Drug Target Review | No comments yet
The FORESIGHT consortium has secured €9 million to speed up drug development using advanced molecular imaging, targeting major diseases like cancer, autoimmune conditions, and heart disorders.
A team of researchers, led by Liesbeth de Vries from the University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG), Guus van Dongen from Amsterdam UMC (AUMC), John Haanen from the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), and Peter de With from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU Eindhoven), has joined forces to form the FORESIGHT consortium. This consortium has secured a €9 million grant from Health~Holland to advance drug development through molecular imaging. The research will focus on oncological, autoimmune, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases.
The formation of the consortium comes at a crucial time, as the prevalence of these diseases is expected to rise significantly in the coming years. These diseases are expected to rise for several reasons, including an ageing population, unhealthy lifestyle factors like poor diet and lack of exercise, increased environmental exposures, and better diagnostic methods leading to more frequent detection. Additionally, the growing prevalence of conditions like obesity, hypertension, and diabetes further contributes to the rise in cardiovascular and cancer-related cases.
This increase not only places a greater burden on patients but also threatens to overwhelm healthcare systems, making care increasingly unaffordable. Recognising the urgency, FORESIGHT will focus on streamlining the development of targeted drugs, which, despite their potential, are often hindered by lengthy development timelines, excessive costs, and high failure rates.
Advanced imaging to track drug behaviour
The core of the FORESIGHT programme lies in its commitment to using advanced nuclear and optical imaging techniques. By providing state-of-the-art infrastructure and high-level expertise, including the application of artificial intelligence, the consortium aims to track the behaviour of drugs within the body with unprecedented precision. This will involve the development of imaging biomarkers, allowing researchers to map tissue properties at a cellular level and quantify the distribution of drugs.
“The aim of the program is to provide advanced nuclear and optical imaging techniques, high-level expertise (including AI) and infrastructure to track drug behaviour in the body and develop imaging biomarkers,” a representative from the consortium explained. This detailed insight will accelerate both preclinical and clinical drug development, ultimately increasing success rates and reducing the substantial costs associated with bringing new therapies to market. In addition, it will enable a more personalised approach to medicine, ensuring that patients receive the most effective treatment for their individual needs.
Supporting drug trials
A dedicated FORESIGHT Service and Innovation Centre will be established to facilitate drug trials, providing crucial support to university medical centres (UMCs) and NKI/AVL, as well as national and international pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and start-up companies. This centre will act as a hub for collaboration and innovation, fostering the development of novel therapies that can address the pressing challenges posed by complex diseases.
By enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of drug development through the strategic application of molecular imaging, the FORESIGHT consortium is set to make a significant contribution to healthcare, ensuring that new, targeted therapies reach patients faster and more reliably. This initiative represents a major step forward in the fight against some of the most debilitating diseases of our time, promising to improve patient outcomes and alleviate the strain on healthcare systems.
About FORESIGHT
The FORESIGHT PPP programme brings together UMCG, AUMC, NKI/AVL, and TU Eindhoven in a collaborative effort. These institutions have combined their cutting-edge expertise and infrastructure within the FORESIGHT Service and Innovation Centre. Here, multidisciplinary teams with specialised knowledge in tracer development, bioengineering, imaging, and data analysis/AI work together. Their efforts support medical teams conducting (pre)clinical molecular imaging studies in the fields of oncology, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders.
About Health~Holland
Top Sector Life Sciences & Health (Health~Holland) drives innovation within the Life Sciences & Health (LSH) sector. Its mission is to generate both economic and societal impact by investing in a diverse range of top-tier disciplines, fostering groundbreaking scientific discoveries and technological advancements.
Related topics
Analysis, Artificial Intelligence, Drug Development, Imaging, Oncology, Personalised Medicine, Photonics
Related organisations
Amsterdam UMC (AUMC), Eindhoven University of Technology (TU Eindhoven), FORESIGHT Consortium, Health~Holland, Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG)
Related people
Guus van Dongen, John Haanen, Liesbeth de Vries, Peter de With
