research project
EQIPD
The European Quality In Preclinical Data (EQIPD) project aims to dramatically increase the quality of data collected in pre-clinical studies. Findings from laboratory research often do not translate to success in human studies. Even when the same experiment is carried out in multiple labs, findings from one lab cannot always be replicated in the others. It is often not clear if this is because of as yet undiscovered biological factors, or because of unwanted differences in how the experiments were done. This project defines quality standards such as being able to demonstrate that studies were randomized and blinded, supported by an adequate sample size calculation and that the hypothesis being addressed has been described in advance which will lead to a great increase in the quality and robustness of research.

The role of Noldus
Noldus is embedding the quality standards developed in the project in the Quality Assurance Module of its EthoVision XT video tracking and behavioral detection software to make it as easy as possible for researchers using its software to obtain high quality robust data.
Videos
The project has created a number of videos outlining its aims and objectives:
- What is EQIPD?
- Why do we need EQIPD?
- The main objectives of EQIPD
- Implementing EQIPD in your lab
- EQIPD for researchers and students
- EQIPD and companies
- EQIPD is not only for researchers
- EQIPD is focusing on neuroscience - why?
More information
To find out more, or if you think Noldus might be a good partner for your consortium, you can contact us directly.
Partners
This project combines the insights of academic groups studying the problems of drug development, of academic laboratory researchers and of industry-based researchers. Nearly 30 partners participate in this €9.5 million 3 years project.
- The pharmaceutical industry partners are Janssen Pharmaceutica, AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis Pharma, Orion, Pfizer, PsychoGenics, Institut de Recherches Servier, Hoffmann-La Roche, UCB Biopharma, and Sanofi-Aventis.
- The academic partners include the following universities: Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Imperial College London, Groningen, Radboud (Nijmegen), Tübingen, Berlin Charité, Ludwig-Maximilians (Munich), Mainz, and Berne.
- SMEs: Noldus, Porsolt, PsychoGenics, PAASP, Science Exchange and Sylics
Funding
EQIPD is funded as part of the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), part of the European Union's Horizon 2020 program. IMI is the European Commission's scheme for supporting precompetitive and public-private collaboration in the pharmaceutical industry.

