FIBROTARGET
EFCCA is involved in an exciting new Horizon Europe project called FIBROTARGET.
This project aims to validate novel immunotherapeutic targets against fibrosis in inflammatory bowel disease in order to obtain patients and regulatory approval for implementation of these novel noninvasive imaging modalities as diagnostic and prognostic tools for fibrotic IBD. This will allow vital future therapeutic development for intestinal fibrosis by providing better molecular and clinical stratification of IBD patients at risk for fibrosis.
With FIBROTARGET, patients, researchers and clinicians can potentially look forward to novel immunotherapeutic drugs that aim to address intestinal fibrosis and fibrostenosis. Until now, therapies for IBD have only targeted inflammation. Even current treatments do not resolve the issue of how to predict who will develop fibrosis and strictures. So, contributions made from this European project will be certain to leave a promising legacy in health systems and outcomes, especially for those living with IBD.
The consortium comprises ten organisation participants with KU Leuven university as the lead partner to ensure effective dialogue and a continuous focus on the actual needs of patients living with IBD. EFCCA will also play an active role to ensure patients’ voices and insights are heard.
Stay tuned for more updates and information! Alternatively, you can visit the project's website or follow their Twitter and LinkedIn profiles for the latest news and updates!
New Multilingual FIBROTARGET Factsheet: Accessible Information on IBD and Fibrosis
November, 2024
As part of our collaboration, we have developed a multilingual factsheet to ensure that information about this initiative is accessible to the IBD community where the Clinical Trials of this project will be carried out. This resource is now available in Dutch, Spanish, German, French, and Italian.
Download the factsheet in your language and join us in driving change for better outcomes in IBD care.
Webinar - Living with Fibroses: Challenges we can’t ignore
On 6 February 2025, EFCCA organised an online webinar bringing together leading researchers, industry experts, and patient advocates to discuss intestinal fibrosis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The session was part of the Horizon Europe project FIBROTARGET, focused on improving the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of fibrosis and fibrostenosis in IBD.
Experts including Prof. Séverine Vermeire (KU Leuven University), Prof. Alessandro Armuzzi (Humanitas Research Hospital), and Prof. Raja Atreya (University Hospital of Erlangen) discussed the underlying mechanisms of fibrosis and current challenges in addressing this complication.
Industry insights were shared by Tim Van Kaem (Agomab), highlighting ongoing developments in therapies targeting fibrosis. The patient perspective was represented by Anastasia Ntanou (Greece) and Frieda Wiedma (Belgium), who shared their lived experience of living with IBD-related fibrosis.
Webinar - From Clinical Trials to Real Impact: The Future of Fibrosis Care
On 2 April 2026, we organised a second online webinar in collaboration with the Horizon Europe project FIBROTARGET, focusing on fibrosis as a common but often overlooked complication of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
The session explored the impact of fibrosis on patients’ quality of life and the latest advances in clinical research, with emphasis on improving diagnosis, assessment, and patient-centred care approaches.
The webinar brought together clinicians, researchers, patient representatives, and industry stakeholders, including Prof. Bram Verstockt (KU Leuven), Prof. Alessandro Armuzzi (Humanitas University), Anastasia Ntanou (HELLESCC), Tim Van Kaem (AGOMAB), as well as Vaso Vakouftsi and Roberto Saldaña (IFCCA), highlighting the importance of patient engagement in fibrosis research.
Discussions also addressed evolving clinical trial design, the role of imaging techniques such as MRI and ultrasound in fibrosis assessment, and how success in fibrosis research should be defined from both clinical and patient perspectives.
The FIBROTARGET project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research & Innovation programme under grant agreement No 101080523. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.