EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND)

The EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) is the largest global research initiative aimed at tackling the challenge of neurodegenerative diseases.

JPND aims to increase coordinated investment between participating countries in research aimed at finding causes, developing cures, and identifying appropriate ways to care for those with neurodegenerative diseases.

The ultimate goal of JPND is to find cures for neurodegenerative diseases and to enable early diagnosis for early targeted treatments. However, it is not possible to give definitive predictions on how long this might take to happen.

In the interim, JPND has identified through its Research Strategy common research goals that would benefit from joint action between countries in order to accelerate progress on solutions that can alleviate the symptoms, and lessen the social and economic impact for patients, families and health care systems.

There are three main components to this work:

• Improve the scientific understanding of the disease.
• Improve the medical tools available to doctors to identify and treat the disease.
• Improve the social care and structures available to assist patients, their families, and health service providers so that patients can receive optimum care at all stages of their illness.