The pre-announcement of the ERDERA Clinical Trial Call 2026 (ECTC), which is planned to support international clinical research in the field of rare diseases under the European Rare Diseases Research Alliance (ERDERA), has been published. The Call is expected to open for applications on 1 July 2026.
The ERDERA Clinical Trial Call aims to support multinational clinical research projects that will contribute to the development of innovative therapeutic approaches for rare diseases. Within the scope of the Call, Phase I, Phase I/II, and Phase II interventional clinical trials will be funded. Supported projects are expected to be conducted in compliance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) principles, generate robust clinical evidence, and, where appropriate, provide data that may be used in regulatory processes.
The Call particularly prioritises paediatric rare diseases, rapidly progressive rare diseases, and rare diseases for which no approved treatment exists or where significant unmet needs remain despite available treatment options.
Applications will be submitted through international consortia established by eligible countries. Consortia are required to include at least three independent partners from three different eligible countries, designate a clinical trial sponsor, appoint a coordinating investigator, and involve at least one patient representative or patient organisation in the project. Universities, research organisations, hospitals, clinical research centres, non-profit organisations, patient associations, and SMEs that meet the eligibility requirements may apply to the Call.
The Call will be implemented through a multi-stage evaluation process. In the first stage, all applicants will be required to submit a mandatory Expression of Interest (EOI) between 1 July and 10 September 2026. Subsequently, short proposals, expected to be submitted between 15 September and 29 October 2026, will be evaluated. Successful applicants will be invited to an intermediate support phase covering regulatory processes, methodology, and patient involvement, after which full proposals will be requested.
An information webinar on the Call will be held on 6 July 2026; further details are available here. For all up-to-date information and relevant documents, please click here.