Chapter 2 COVID-19

Factsheet

Everyone, from healthcare professionals, public health authorities and members of the public can help flatten the curve by slowing down transmission of COVID-19. Below you can find more information about COVID-19 and how you can help flatten the curve.

COVID-19 call

Following the outbreak of COVID-19, Top Sector Life Sciences & Health acted quickly in setting up a COVID-19 call. This call was opened at the end of March 2020 for project proposals to be submitted. In only one month, four projects were awarded by the Board of Health~Holland and were granted PPP Allowance to start their research to help stop the spreading of COVID-19 and to help diminish the burden for society. Currently, 20 COVID-19 proposals have been awarded and have been granted PPP Allowance for the start of their research. A total of 9.2 million euros in PPP Allowance has been allocated to the 20 awarded projects.

Furthermore, international stakeholders in the public and private sector are collaborating to contain the spread of COVID-19 and to prevent future outbreaks. Click here to stay up to date on COVID-19 funding opportunities.

Get an overview of the total COVID-19 projects awarded by Health~Holland in the infographic below. Furthermore, discover the average of several factors of the COVID-19 projects. Finally, get an overview of the themes and sub-themes of these projects.

Project recovery during
the COVID-19 crisis

The outbreak of COVID-19 and the measures taken against it have affected us all. The closure of many laboratories, the (temporary) termination of clinical research, etcetera have impacted the execution, duration and financing of research.

This situation requires flexibility and creativity. Top Sector Life Sciences & Health (Health~Holland) feels it has a joint responsibility for finding solutions to ensure the good progress and completion of all studies.

International cooperation
in times of COVID-19

Health~Holland supports EUREKA call COVID-19

The need for international cooperation has been stressed during the COVID-19 crisis. No longer can countries depend on their own health systems. We can only beat the pandemic by working together. The social and economic consequences that this crisis has given rise to are significant and affect us all.

The COVID-19 crisis is leading to practical challenges in healthcare and other areas of society. Within the scope of the EUREKA Programme, a joint call has been launched to fund research and innovation projects aimed at finding short- and medium-term responses to specific needs related to COVID-19.

Four European countries contract
possible coronavirus vaccine

The Inclusive Vaccine Alliance (IVA), consisting of the Netherlands, France, Germany and Italy has made agreements with AstraZeneca about the delivery of a future possible coronavirus vaccine. AstraZeneca will make the vaccines available on a non-profit basis.

Press release AstraZeneca

Janssen accelerates research

Janssen announced on 12 June that a candidate vaccine against COVID-19 will start human trials from the second half of July onwards. Clinical trials have been started early after promising results in the pre-clinical phase and consultation with regulatory agencies.

The clinical study is being conducted among over one thousand healthy adults in Belgium and the United States, focusing on the safety, effectiveness and immune response to the candidate vaccine. The study is conducted “double blind” and with a placebo group.

Press release Johnson & Johnson

Sources:
Vereniging Innovatieve Geneesmiddelen (only available in Dutch)
Nu.nl (only available in Dutch)

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