Sivan Spitzer Alfonso – photo credit: Alfonso
A prestigious €22 million ($22.45 million) EU-IHI grant has been awarded to Dr. Sivan Spitzer of Bar-Ilan University‘s Azrieli Faculty of Medicine and researchers from six EU countries. The funding will support the development of an innovative platform designed to improve medication adherence for patients with cardiometabolic diseases. This five-year initiative, known as CAREPATH, is a collaboration between leading researchers and pharmaceutical giants such as Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, and Sanofi, and is funded by the European Union.
Cardiometabolic diseases are a group of interconnected conditions that affect your cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels) and your metabolism (the processes your body uses to get energy from food). These conditions often occur together and share similar risk factors.
CAREPATH focuses on tackling the significant challenges in managing obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, which affect millions globally. These cardiometabolic diseases often require long-term treatment plans but despite advances in drug therapies—including breakthrough medications like GLP-1 receptor agonists—patient adherence to medication remains a major barrier to successful treatment.
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“Obesity is a complex, multifaceted disease that requires a long-term, patient-centric approach,” says Dr. Spitzer, who also serves as Deputy Director of The Russell Berrie Galilee Diabetes SPHERE at Bar-Ilan’s Azrieli Faculty of Medicine. “CAREPATH aims to improve patients’ medication persistence, ultimately enhancing the lives of individuals struggling with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.”
The CAREPATH plug-and-play toolbox will seamlessly combine digital and analog solutions tailored for individuals managing diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular conditions. This ambitious initiative brings together researchers and patient advocacy organizations from six EU member states—Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden. In partnership with pharmaceutical giants such as Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, and Sanofi, CAREPATH aims to revolutionize care by delivering innovative, user-centered tools to improve health outcomes.
A Collaborative, International Approach to Addressing Global Health Challenges
The €22 million grant will be used to fund the design and implementation of the plug and play CAREPATH toolbox. Extensive collaboration with patients and caregivers, as well as the use of hackathons in participating countries, will assist in developing effective solutions. Large-scale studies will be conducted to test the platform’s impact and evaluate its economic feasibility.
“Our focus is not only on the clinical aspect but also on ensuring that the platform is culturally relevant for diverse patient populations,” Dr. Spitzer adds. “Through this international collaboration, we aim to create a system that addresses both medical and societal challenges, integrating technological innovation with real-world patient needs.”
The CAREPATH platform will be designed with a particular emphasis on addressing obesity, a disease that is associated with more than 200 health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. The project aims to empower patients to better manage their health and ultimately improve their quality of life by enhancing their adherence to necessary treatments.
This remarkable achievement marks the first time that Bar-Ilan University has received funding from the EU-IHI program, highlighting the university’s growing impact in the field of medical research and its commitment to improving global health outcomes.
Dr. Spitzer concludes, “CAREPATH is a vision of collaboration, research, and innovation that will positively impact the lives of millions of patients worldwide. This project exemplifies the power of international partnerships and interdisciplinary research to tackle some of the most pressing healthcare challenges of our time.”
