The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) launched in 2008 as part of a massive European push to foster public-private partnerships in biomedicine. Over its six years of existence, the €2 billion ($2.7 billion) joint venture between the EU and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations has collaborated with 43 companies and worked with scientists from 31 participating countries. Nine IMI-backed medicinal products have gone into a total of 90 clinical trials. Close to 600 peer-reviewed research papers have come out of the effort.

Credit: Source: Innovative Medicines Initiative

Now, the IMI is coming to the end of its first phase. Last month, the Brussels-based institution announced its eleventh and final call for proposals within the initial budget allocation. The next phase of the initiative—what's known as IMI 2—is hoped to launch this spring and last another ten years. Here, Nature Medicine takes a look at where the IMI's money has been allocated to date and highlight the industry partners who have supplied funds in three areas.