FAST themes
Infectious Diseases Infectious diseases are a major health threat globally. Development often prioritizes commercial interests over public health needs, creating a gap between societal needs and market focus. FAST aims to advance solutions by promoting innovative approaches to vaccine and treatment development. Drug Repurposing Using existing medicines to develop new therapies for patients with unmet treatment needs. This is known as drug repurposing. This way of making new and affordable treatments available has huge treatment potential for a variety of conditions, as the development track can be relatively shorter and cheaper in comparison with traditional innovative drugs. Rare Diseases Rare diseases affect up to 36 million people in the EU, but often no treatment options are available. The ideas and early stages of development of therapies for rare diseases often originate from academic institutions. But further development often stagnates. This may be due to the complexity of the disease, small patient populations, high risks for industry with limited options for reimbursement, regulatory challenges and high costs for society. ATMPs ATMPs (Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products) offer groundbreaking treatments for diseases with unmet medical needs, like genetic disorders and cancer. These therapies include gene therapy, cell therapy, and tissue-engineered products, which provide targeted, often curative solutions. Medical Isotopes The innovation potential of the Netherlands in the nuclear sector is expanding with opportunities for new nuclear diagnostics and therapy (theranostics), enabling personalized patient treatment. To support therapy development within nuclear medicine, FAST will bring together researchers and entrepreneurs in this sector and provide advice to innovators where needed.
