Since 2020, Teamit has been steadfastly committed to its mission: to build strong public-private partnerships and provide cross-cutting expertise for impactful health science. This dedication has become more evident in the latest EU projects related to RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) research —RESCUE and PROMISE— in which we participate as partners and currently, RSV Awareness Week. In this article, we take the chance to highlight the pressing health problem that continues to cause an estimated 118,000 child deaths worldwide and showcase why PROMISE is at the forefront of finding solutions to prevent and treat this infectious disease.
PROMISE—a legacy continuation of RESCUE— is advancing scientific knowledge on RSV to better inform public health strategies and to support the development and introduction of novel immunisations tools and therapeutics against this potentially deadly virus in the paediatric and elderly populations. This autumn marks a significant milestone in the fight against RSV as many more babies across European countries will experience increased protection against severe RSV infections, especially for premature infants and those with pre-existing medical conditions. Both, RESCEU and PROMISE have produced a wealth of scientific evidence to showcase the economic, medical and social impacts of RSV on a global scale.
Notably, RSV continues to be responsible for the hospitalisation of 1 in 5 young children under 5 years of age diagnosed with acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) globally. It also poses a substantial burden on healthcare services, including hospitalistions and outpatient consultations; in industrialised countries, about 8% of hospitalisation cases are likely to result in death.
Indeed, the evidence they have generated has not only shed light on the gravity of the situation but has paved the way for the development of preventive measures, such as vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. In the face of RSV’s harsh reality—where treatment for RSV is non-existent—partners from the PROMISE project have rallied together to create solutions that safeguard the most vulnerable members of our society – babies and the elderly.
In the context of RSV awareness week, we take the opportunity to highlight these triumphs of which Teamit is proud to be an integral part. These will translate into the impactful health science needed nowadays to address global health challenges. At Teamit, we believe in our ability to bring together diverse talents and resources in a coordinated manner so those like PROMISE can succeed in every way possible.
For more information about the PROMISE project, visit here.
