Research Funding Prize for Security of Supply of Medicines

Research against supply gaps! This year's Vogel Foundation Dr Eckernkamp Research Award goes to an interdisciplinary research group at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU), which is conducting research into the availability of medicines.

"Time to survive during supply disruptions: How long do vital medicines last?" This is the question being investigated by the teams led by Professor Richard Pibernik (Chair of Logistics and Quantitative Methods), Professor Ulrike Holzgrabe (Senior Professor of Pharmaceutical and Pharmaceutical Chemistry) and Professor Andrea Szczesny (Chair of Controlling and Internal Management Accounting). The scientists are supported by an advisory board made up of experts from the field.

Focus on Selected Pharmaceuticals

"The current supply bottlenecks for medicines, some of which are vital, clearly show how susceptible our supply chains for medicines are to disruption. But the problem is even bigger: our supply of vital generics in particular depends largely on whether suppliers of active ingredients and excipients in China and India are able and willing to provide us with sufficient quantities," explains Richard Pibernik, spokesperson for the research group: "Our research project aims to increase the security of supply of vital medicines, for example for the care of cancer and intensive care patients."

The project will initially focus on selected vital medicines for which a "time-to-survive" stress test will be carried out. The results of these stress tests form a crucial basis for the development of strategies to ensure that patients are supplied with essential medicines in the future.

Research for Society

"This is research for society in the best sense of the word, because many people are concerned about the supply of essential medicines. There is an acute need for action," explains Dr Gunther Schunk, Chairman of the Board of the Vogel Foundation Dr Eckernkamp: "That's why we chose this project in our anniversary year, because the Vogel Foundation wants to promote effective projects and outstanding researchers at the science location for the benefit of people."

The Vogel Foundation has been awarding the "Research Promotion Prize" together with the Universitätsbund Würzburg at JMU for ten years. The prize is endowed with 25,000 euros, making it one of the most highly endowed private research prizes in Germany. Since 2014, a total of 17 projects have been funded, including seven special research awards, with a total funding volume of 400,000 euros.

The 2023 Research Award will be presented publicly on 15 November at 7 p.m. in the Neubaukirche as part of the Universitätsbund Festival Concert. Admission is free and information is available on the Unibund website (in German).