TEDDY Network and TEDDY Stichting Unite to Promote Excellence in Paediatric Research in Europe
On January 12, 2026, TEDDY Stichting was officially established in Zoetermeer, the Netherlands. The Foundation is designed to continue and to valorize the results on the activities of the TEDDY – European Network of Excellence for Paediatric Clinical Research, promoting high-impact paediatric research, supporting the development of safe and effective therapies for children, and addressing the unique medical and ethical challenges in paediatric care.
TEDDY Stichting legal representative, Prof. Oscar Della Pasqua, a member of the TEDDY Board of Directors, and Chair in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics at University College London, UK. Prof. Della Pasqua brings extensive expertise in clinical pharmacology and therapeutic research will lead the organization.
TEDDY Stichting mission focuses to bring together subjects involved in paediatric drugs development processes, to share ideas about paediatric research, to contribute to the implementation of paediatric initiatives by:
- raising Awareness of Paediatric Needs: identifying disease specificities and unmet needs through a multidisciplinary approach.
- Innovative Research Methodologies: encouraging the secondary use of paediatric data to build clinical evidence.
- Safe and Cost-Effective Therapies: supporting initiatives to optimize the use of medicines and health products for children.
- Integration of Basic and Clinical Research: accelerating the availability of innovative treatments in paediatrics.
- Ethical, Legal, and Regulatory Guidance: addressing complex issues across preclinical and clinical research stages.
- Engagement of Young Patients: ensuring children and adolescents have a voice in research and healthcare decisions.
- Public & Stakeholder Awareness: promoting understanding of paediatric research needs among authorities, institutions, and the public.
TEDDY Stichting aims to implement the following activities, several of which are already being actively pursued within the TEDDY Network:
- development and application of new methodologies in paediatric research.
- Scientific and methodological advice as well as advice in ethical, legal, regulatory and social aspects linked to paediatric research.
- Preparation, participation, coordination and management of project at national, European and international level.
- Education and creation of research tools and databases, including initiatives to leverage health data and real-world evidence to inform paediatric research and regulatory decisions.
- Promotion and support to the creation and valorisation of young person’s advocacy/advisory groups and creation of age-tailored tools for research and education.
- Organization, communication, and dissemination of initiatives, debates, forums, and conferences to engage the public and key stakeholders in themes relevant to paediatric research.
- Development of innovative IT tools for distance learning and empowerment of and families.
- Promotion of safer paediatric medicine use, including actions to mitigate off-label medicines use, through collaborative research, training, advocacy, and scientific publications.
TEDDY Stichting and TEDDY Network will operate as a single, integrated entity with shared statutory goals focused on paediatric clinical research excellence. The unified organizational structure includes:
- Resource Pooling:
- Shared Scientific & Administrative Staff.
- Unified Databases and IT Infrastructure.
- Common Quality Management System.
- Reciprocal support to ensure operational continuity and project stability.
- Global Networking: Seamless extension of memberships and collaborations with leading international research networks, including Accelerating Clinical Trials in the European Union (ACT-EU) Multi Stakeholders Platform, Clinical Validation from Biopharmaceutical Findings (CVBF), European Forum for Good Clinical Practice (EFGCP), European Network of Centres for Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacovigilance (ENCePP), European Network of Paediatric Research at the European Medicines Agency (Enpr-EMA), European Paediatric Transnational Research Infrastructure (EPTRI), International Children’s Advisory Network (iCAN), International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC), Italian network for pediatric clinical trials (INCiPiT).
By combining the strengths of TEDDY Network and TEDDY Stichting, we establish a European and global hub for paediatric research, ensuring collaboration, efficiency, and innovation, while advancing the development of therapies that are safer and more effective for children worldwide.