The European Commission announced on the 7th that the European Commission has allocated 123 million euros (about 146 million US dollars) to carry out emergency research on mutant coronavirus.
The European Commission said in a statement that the funding comes from the Horizon Europe Program, the EU’s scientific funding framework, which aims to improve the EU’s ability to prevent, mitigate and respond to the impact of mutant COVID-19. Horizon Europe Program is a key EU funding program for research and innovation, with a total budget of 95.5 billion euros.
The statement said that the European Commission called for the development of promising treatments and vaccines for COVID-19 by organizing and conducting clinical trials to complement earlier actions. Emergency research will help address the short- to medium-term threat of mutant COVID-19, while preparing for the future and ensuring that the EU can predict and better respond to possible future epidemics.
Maria Gabriel, a member of the European Commission for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said in a statement: “We continue to mobilize all available means to combat the challenges posed by the novel coronavirus and mutant coronavirus. Our combined forces must be used to prepare for the future, from the early detection of viral mutations to the organization and coordination of clinical trials for new vaccines and treatments, while ensuring that data are properly collected and shared at all stages.”
In an effort to better respond to the threat of COVID-19 mutation, European Commission President von der Leyen also announced the launch of a European Biodefence Preparedness Program called the HERA Incubator in February. HERA Incubator will use all available resources to enable Europe to meet the challenges posed by the COVID-19 mutation.
