COVIRNA – A prognostic test for COVID-19 patients

Programme: Horizon2020
Project Status: COMPLETED (November 2020 – April 2023) 

 

What aims and scope

To generate a diagnostic test based on cardiovascular RNA biomarkers highly predictive of the clinical outcomes of patients with COVID-19 and enable its rapid market uptake for improved individualised surveillance, care and follow-up of such patients

How it will become possible 

Fifteen European Union partners from the healthcare sector, academia, association and industry reached the overarching goal by undertaking actions at two primary category levels (technological/research and socioeconomic/regulatory).

At the technological and research levels, this includes:

  • Building a biobank of 2,000 blood samples from existing cohorts of patients with COVID-19 throughout Europe to perform a retrospective, multicentre and international study
  • Achieving biomarker qualification and selecting a subset of highly specific lncRNAs predictive of COVID-19 clinical outcomes using bioinformatics, artificial intelligence (AI) and biostatistics
  • Developing a disease evolution prediction model based on selected lncRNAs and clinical data
  • Designing a reliable, cost-efficient and easy-to-use in vitro diagnostic (IVD) test to predict COVID-19 clinical outcomes

At the socio-economic and regulatory levels, this includes:

  • Obtaining CE marking of the innovative COVIRNA prognostic solution
  • Establishing a strategic science-policy-business-society consultation to optimise the design of the diagnosis solution, so as to be in compliance with end-users’ needs, cost-efficiency analysis requirements, current EU regulations and highest quality standards
  • Raising stakeholders’ awareness of the advantages of the newly designed diagnostic solution as a valuable decision-support tool in care via a tailored dissemination programme.
  • Engaging stakeholder communities to share practical knowledge on using the novel medical technology

Where EHMA delivered 

In COVIRNA, EHMA led the dissemination and communications activities and actions. Our approach allowed to:

  • Build input and support to raise awareness of the project
  • Inform key stakeholders about its outputs
  • Create tools and a culture that encourages the practical appropriation of results by the target groups

 

 

Funding

EU logo

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. This page and the publications contained herein only reflects the author’s views. The European Union is not liable for any use that might be made of the information contained in this page and publications.

WHY YOU WILL BENEFIT

Health systems and organisations will have access to a minimally invasive, affordable and simple yet robust prognosis tool in the context of the current COVID-19 crisis and other health scenarios. 

This translates to possible savings in health expenditures, from a shortened length of hospitalisation to optimised decision-making processes regarding treatment and care. 

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