WHAT

EARCO stands for European Alpha-1 Research Collaboration. It is a pan-European network committed to promoting clinical research and education in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD). The core project is the European AATD Registry, a collaboration open to all Investigators around Europe caring for patients with AATD.

While EARCO has started as a European Network, a number of countries outside of Europe are in the process of joining in.

VISION

EARCO has a global vision to increase the early diagnosis of Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), understand better the natural history of the disease and ensure optimal access to effective care, placing emphasis on ambitions that serve collective needs of the AATD research community and bringing people with AAT deficiency to the centre of the research environment in a real-world context.

SPECIFIC AIMS

To build a network of researchers and clinical experts in AATD to guide future clinical and research priorities in Europe (and beyond)
To establish a consensus among patients and physicians on the main clinical and translational research priorities in the field of AATD
To create the EARCO registry with a quality control system and with a self-learning system, primarily a European AATD registry to facilitate patient recruitment for research and quality improvement initiatives across healthcare Systems
To facilitate applications to Industry and European Union funding sources to support the EARCO registry
To support and encourage early Career researchers in the field of AATD through involvement in network activities (including short term placements)
To increase the number and quality of clinical trials performed in AATD across Europe (and beyond)