Start date of the project: 1st June 2005
Duration: 60 months

TEDDY is a European Network of Excellence funded by the European Commission under the Sixth Framework Programme and encompassing 19 partners in 11 different Countries.
The TEDDY project aims at optimising the paediatric use of current drugs and promoting the development of new drugs. To fine-tune paediatric research, it focuses on incorporating pharmacogenetics applications, sharing guidelines for better practice, and implementing dedicated tools. Attention will be paid to variability in response, especially with respect to the role of gender factors and time-dependencies associated with the development from prenatal period to adolescence. An integrated framework will be developed to characterise adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and to optimise dosing regimens, by resorting also to research projects on pharmacogenetic variants. Harmonised databases and guidelines will be created for marketed medicines. Training programmes on ethical, scientific and clinical skills will be set up to build research capacity and to promote social awareness.
The Network will involve different stakeholders in both drug development sector and paediatric clinical practice. European academics, scientists, healthcare specialists and ethics experts will work together with pharmaceutical companies, regulatory agencies and patients associations to attain common objectives. A strong link with existing European networks running clinical trials in children will also be established.

For additional information: www.teddyoung.org