READI (Research in Europe and Diversity Inclusion), a major public-private partnership aimed at enhancing patient representativeness in clinical studies, has officially launched. The six-year project has secured €66.8 million in funding, with €31.5 million from the Horizon Europe Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) and €34.2 million committed by industry and contributing partners.

The initiative brings together 73 organizations from 18 countries and is coordinated by the Servicio Madrileño de Salud (SERMAS) through Hospital Universitario La Paz, with Novartis as the Project Lead and The Synergist as the Digital & Sustainability Coordinator.

READI aims to address barriers that prevent underserved and underrepresented populations from participating in clinical studies, including lack of information, mistrust, poor communication, geographic limitations, and prejudice. The project will develop standardized descriptors for inclusion and collect insights to inform regulatory and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) policies.

A key component of the initiative will be a patient-centered digital platform designed to improve access to clinical study information and connect patients with established communities. The project will test its approaches through real-world pilot clinical and non-clinical use cases supported by industry partners.

The consortium includes major healthcare companies and research institutions such as AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, GSK, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, and UCB Biopharma, alongside patient advocacy groups and digital health organizations.