Welcome

The BLACKSWAN Foundation and IRDiRC, the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium hosted online the first-time joint event RE(ACT) Congress and IRDiRC Conference 2021 – 13-15 January.

This joint event continued the IRDiRC Conference series (4th edition) and the RE(ACT) Congress series (6th edition). It aimed to bring together scientific leaders and experts, and young scientists from various breakthrough scientific fields to present cutting-edge research, exchange ideas, and discuss policies related to rare diseases research. Patients and patient organizations committed to research were also in attendance to share their experiences and perspectives.

The RE(ACT) Congress – International Congress of Research on Rare and Orphan Diseases – was initiated in 2012 by the BLACKSWAN Foundation to create a forum for and promote scientific cooperation and research on rare and orphan diseases. IRDiRC – launched in April 2011 at the initiative of the European Commission and the US National Institutes of Health – fosters international collaboration on rare disease research by bringing together researchers, funders, and patient advocacy organizations that work collaboratively within a multinational consortium.

The joint online edition of the 6th edition of the RE(ACT) Congress and the 4th IRDiRC Conference from 13-15 January 2021 has been organized in collaboration with the European Joint Program Rare Diseases (EJP RD) and partnership with Eurordis (European alliance of patient organizations) and RDI – Rare Diseases International (global alliance of people living with a rare disease).

Press release

On behalf of the Organizing Committee for the RE(ACT) Congress and IRDiRC Conference 2021: