Nordic Skeletal Dysplasia Council

​​​Nordic cooperat​​ion for ​​​​better patient care

​Nordic Skeletal Dysplasia Council is part of the Nordic Skeletal Dysplasia Association.

​Bac​​k​​​g​​​​round 

The Nordic countries, which include Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, offer a unique platform for conducting clinical trials due to their well-established healthcare systems, high-quality research infrastructure, and patient-friendly regulatory environment.

Here are some of the key reasons for pharmaceutical or medical companies to select the Nordic Countries for medical research and clinical trials:

​​​​​​​​1. Hi​​​​​gh-qual​ity healthc​​are systems

​The Nordic countries have some of the best healthcare systems in the world, with universal coverage and access to care for all residents. This ensures that clinical trials can recruit a diverse patient population with various medical conditions.

2. Lar​​ge tot​a​l population

​​​Even though the individual countries have a rather small number of inhabitants, the total population of the Nordic countries is large with approximately 27.5 million (2021 data). Here is a breakdown of the population by country:

• ​​Denmark: 5.8 million
• Finland: 5.5 million
• Iceland: 0.4 million
• Norway: 5.4 million
• Sweden: 10.4 million

​​​​3. Efficie​​​​n​​t regulatory processes

The regulatory environment in the Nordic countries is patient-friendly and efficient, with streamlined processes for approving and conducting clinical trials. This makes it easier for researchers to start trials quickly and enroll patients efficiently.

Strong research infrastructure: The Nordic countries have a strong research infrastructure, including world-renowned research institutions, hospitals, and clinics. This infrastructure supports clinical trial research and ensures high-quality data collection and analysis.

​​​​4. Hig​​​hly educated and engaged patient population

The Nordic countries have a highly educated and engaged patient population that is willing to participate in clinical trials. This is essential for successful clinical trial recruitment and retention.

5. High-quality data

Nordic countries have extensive health registries that provide high-quality data for clinical research. These registries can facilitate research in areas such as drug safety and efficacy, as well as identify potential study participants.

​​In summary, the Nordic Skeletal Dysplasia Council offer an ideal platform for initiating clinical trials in the Nordic countries. 

​​​Co​un​​​cil members​

No​r​​way

• ​​​​Sve​​in O. Fredwall (secretary), TRS National Resource Centre for Rare Disorders, e-mail: svfred@sunnaas.no​​​
• Henrik U. Irgens, Haukeland University Hospital, e-mail: henrik.underthun.irgens@helse-bergen.no​

De​n​mark

• ​​​Hanne B. Hove, Rigshospitalet, Kopenhagen, e-mail: hanne.buciek.hove@regionh.dk
• Merete Ljungberg, Rigshospitalet, Kopenhagen, e-mail:​​ merete.ljungberg@regionh.dk
• ​Pernille Axèl Gregersen, Århus University Hospital​, e-mail: perngreg@rm.dk​

​Sw​eden

• ​Giedre​​ Grigelioniene​, Karolinska, Stockholm​, e-mail: giedre.grigelioniene@ki.se
• Ola Nilsson, Karolinska, Stockholm, e-mail: ola.nilsson@ki.se

​​​​​Finland

• ​​​​Outi Mäkitie, Helsinki University Hospital, e-mail: outi.makitie@helsinki.fi
• ​Hele​na Valta, Helsinki University Hospital, e-mail: Hele​na.Valta@hus.fi
• ​Matti Hero, Helsinki University Hospital, e-mail: matti.hero@hus.fi

​​​​Externa​l advisor 

• ​​​Ravi Savarirayan, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, e-mail: ravi.savarirayan@mcri.edu.au

​​​Steering​ committee 

• Svein Fredwall (Norway), secretary
• Merete Ljungberg (Denmark)
• Giedre Grigelioniene (Sweden)
• Helena Valta (Helsinki)

The steering committee will then decide on when the Core Group should be invited for further discussions.