# First meeting of the international collaborative asthma network

> **NIH NIH R13** · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · 2021 · $10,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Asthma affects ~300 million people world-wide and causes hundreds of thousands of deaths annually. Even
with the advent of effective biologic agents, many patients remain symptomatic and suffer frequent
exacerbations. This is, in part, because of the heterogeneity of asthma pathophysiology; and because of the
suboptimal predictive value of therapeutic response biomarkers. Largely because of this, several consortia have
been established around the world to improve understanding and management of asthma. In an effort to
coordinate the programs of these networks, lead investigators from US and UK consortia have been meeting
twice annually, largely with the support of the NHLBI and the Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation
Partnership. These meetings have occurred in conjunction with the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and
European Respiratory Society (ERS) Conferences. At the 2019 ERS conference, it was concluded that efforts
to coordinate these programs were falling short. In particular, collaborative use of databases for testing and
validation was not being facilitated; innovation was not being encouraged and pursued – particularly in the case
of non-Th2 asthma; and stakeholders around the world were not being encouraged work together to solve
problems. The US-UK meetings last only a half-day, do not involve all stakeholders, are not focused on practical
solutions to the challenges of collaboration, and do not usually result in actionable innovations. Therefore, the
establishment of a new network, the International Collaborative Asthma Network (ICAN), was proposed to be
inaugurated with a face-to-face meeting. This meeting is intended to harmonize and use existing networks,
rather than to duplicate them. Specific Aims of the first meeting, proposed here, will be as follows: 1) To establish
an international collaborative asthma research network entity; 2) To establish international collaborations to test
and/or validate innovative hypotheses; 3) To establish international collaborations to develop and translate ideas
for new technologies and therapies; 4) To build infrastructure for international collaborations to do innovative
studies of personalized severe asthma treatments. 5) To improve communications among all stakeholders. This
initial meeting of the ICAN is envisioned to live on after 2021 in the form of subsequent regular meetings and
digital platforms for innovation and for data sharing.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10142599
- **Project number:** 1R13HL156425-01
- **Recipient organization:** INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Benjamin Gaston
- **Activity code:** R13 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $10,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-06-15 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10142599

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10142599, First meeting of the international collaborative asthma network (1R13HL156425-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10142599. Licensed CC0.

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