Five creative ideas aimed at advancing research in pain have been selected to receive funding from the prestigious EFIC-Grünenthal Grant (E-G-G) 2018

The selected teams of young scientists will start executing there innovative projects with the ambitious objective to improve the lives of people in pain

BRUSSELS and AACHEN, Germany, May 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The European Pain Federation EFIC® and the pharmaceutical company Grünenthal have announced the five research projects that will receive funding as part of the EFIC-Grünenthal Grant (E-G-G). With a total value of €200,000, this biennial grant supports young scientists in their quest to turn creative ideas into research projects that deliver life-changing pain management approaches.

Pain is a major healthcare problem
One in five European citizens suffers from chronic pain. In addition, the  European population is aging which will increase the number patients suffering from pain in the near future. Pain has a negative impact on the quality of life and creates a substantial  economic and social burden. The direct and indirect healthcare costs of chronic pain within the European Union countries is estimated to 2-3% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is the challenge that the European Pain Federation EFIC® and Grünenthal are seeking to tackle together through the EFIC-Grünenthal Grant (E-G-G).

The E-G-G aims to raise awareness about unmet needs in pain management and to support young pain scientists in exploring novel ideas for research projects. It awards grants of up to € 40,000 per project. The recipients are selected by the independent EFIC® Scientific Research Committee, a multi-disciplinary team of experts in the pain field. The committee vote criteria include originality of the projects and the potential clinical impact. In addition to the provided  financial support, the winning projects have also the opportunities to discuss and finetune their ideas and projects with leading experts in pain research.

"There are far too many patients who receive inadequate treatment because it can be very difficult to diagnose and manage pain," says Barbara Przewlocka, Chair of the Research Committee Working Group on Grants and Prizes. "That's why I'm so proud to see the growing interest in pain research. The E-G-G helps young scientists who are beginning their careers and gives them an opportunity to explore creative approaches to clinical research with the potential to improve pain therapy."

The E-G-G winners 2018
In a two-step evaluation, 6 selected reviewers and 4 members of the EFIC® Research Committee Working Group on Grants and Prizes reviewed 61 applications that were submitted as part of the E-G-G 2018 program. They selected five projects for funding.

The winners are:

• Robin Bekrater-Bodmann, Germany
  Prosthesis embodiment induced by multimodal sensory feedback: neural correlates and its potential for the treatment of phantom limb pain in lower-limb amputees
• Alex Clark, United Kingdom
  Investigating the pathophysiology of SPTLC1 mutations that cause painful hereditary sensory neuropathy type 1 using human iPSC-derived sensory neurons
• Eleonora Galosi, Italy
  Disclosing mechanisms underlying painful diabetic neuropathy. A clinical and skin biopsy study with new emerging sensory biomarkers
• Elena Makovac, United Kingdom
  What is the role of baroreceptors in descending pain modulation?
• Jonas Zaman, Belgium
  The missing link between fear learning and pain levels: an investigation into sensory discrimination

The winners will be officially recognised during the opening ceremony of the 11th Congress of the European Pain Federation EFIC®. This event takes place in Valencia, Spain, from 4 to 7 September 2019.

The day after this ceremony, representatives from previous E-G-G winning projects will share insights into the results of their research activities at the symposium "New Findings in Clinical Pain Research".

For further information please visit www.e-g-g.info

About the European Pain Federation EFIC^®
Headquartered in Diegem/Brussels, the European Pain Federation EFIC^® is a multidisciplinary professional organization in the field of pain research and medicine, consisting of the 37 chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP^®), the IASP^® approved official National Pain Societies in each country. Established in 1993, the European Pain Federation EFIC^® constituent chapters represent Pain Societies from 37 European countries and more than 20,000 physicians, basic researchers, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists and other healthcare professionals across Europe, who are involved in pain management and pain research.

For more information: www.europeanpainfederation.eu 

About Grünenthal
Grünenthal is a global leader in pain management and related diseases. As a science-based, privately-owned pharmaceutical company, we have a long track record of bringing innovative treatments and state-of-the-art technologies to patients worldwide. Our purpose is to change lives for the better – and innovation is our passion. We are focussing all of our activities and efforts on moving towards our vision of a world free of pain.

Grünenthal is headquartered in Aachen, Germany, and has affiliates in 30 countries across Europe, Latin America and the US. Our products are available in more than 100 countries. In 2018, Grünenthal employed around 4,900 people and achieved sales of € 1.3 bn.

More information: www.grunenthal.com

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Contacts:
Sam Kynman
Executive Director
European Pain Federation EFIC^®
Grensstraat 7, Mailbox 3
B-1831 Diegem
Fax: +32-2-251-48-10 
Email: sam.kynman@efic.org 
www.europeanpainfederation.eu 

Štěpán Kráčala
Head Global Communications
Grünenthal
DE-52099 Aachen
E-Mail: Stepan.Kracala@grunenthal.com 
Phone: +49-241-569-1335

SOURCE Grünenthal Group