Our mission
Link between academic research and the pharmaceutical industry – Austria-wide and internationally
Clinical research for children is important in order to provide medicinal products and other innovations specifically for children. This has also been given high priority by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and an appropriate legal environment for research involving children has been established. Carefully planned clinical studies are the best way to identify and establish new treatments in both the industrial and academic sectors.
We work closely with pharmaceutical companies as primary stake holders of drug development and with academia which often initiates important and complimentary studies.
We benefit from the advantage of our Austrian research network and are also very strongly integrated in corresponding institutions internationally.
Pharmaceutical industry
Numerous steps are necessary before initiating a clinical study at a trial site, ranging from feasibilities screening, site selection, conclusion of contracts and organisation of payment transactions till recruitment may actually start.
The OKIDS network centre centrally coordinates the necessary steps and service at OKIDS locations throughout Austria in particular for industry studies enrolling young patients.
Academic research
The OKIDS national hub is also an expert partner and service provider for the successful conduct of academic studies in children and adolescents.
Protecting children through research rather than from research
Information for families and children
Medicinal products approved for adults may have different effects in children. It is necessary to test medicinal products specifically for various age ranges of childhood and adolescent in order to determine respective doses, effects and adverse reactions. Only in this way is it possible to ensure the efficacy and safety of medicinal products for these young patients.
Benefits for children participating in a study
Children and adolescents who participate in clinical studies have earlier access to new treatments.
They are under special medical observation and care during the course of the study, which is why children are usually treated more safely in studies than outside them.
Our national and international network for the successful conduct of clinical trials
OKIDS is an expert partner and service provider at five locations specialising in children and adolescents of the Medical Universities in Vienna, Linz, Innsbruck, Graz and Salzburg, as well as at the St. Anna Children’s Hospital in Vienna.
On an international level we are part of the following networks:
- Enpr-EMA (European Network of Paediatric Research at the European Medicines Agency)
- PedCRIN (Paediatric Clinical Research Infrastructure Network). Project period: 1.1.2017 - 30.6.2021
- C4C (conect4children - a pan-European clinical trial network). Project period: 1.5.2018 – 30.4.2024
