Initiative Arzneimittel für Kinder

Initiative Arzneimittel für Kinder e. V. (IKAM) was a German non-profit association and multi-stakeholder platform dedicated to improving the availability, safety and appropriateness of medicines for children. Its members came from the pharmaceutical industry, the pharmacy profession, research and the Bundesverband der Arzneimittel-Hersteller (German Medicines Manufacturers' Association), and its work was supported by a scientific advisory board of experts. The association was based in Bonn-Bad Godesberg, in the Plittersdorf district. IKAM set itself a broad set of goals: raising awareness of paediatric medicines; improving health-policy conditions for developing medicines for children; networking partners active in paediatric medicines; issuing recommendations for professionals and patients; connecting interested parties with researchers; and developing strategies and projects to improve drug safety in children. Concrete areas of work included investigating the efficacy and safety of medicines with patented and off-patent active substances, developing child-appropriate dosage forms, and systematically recording and evaluating empirical data on off-label use of medicines in children. The association also acted as a point of contact for members, industry and policymakers. These goals responded to long-known problems in the use of paediatric medicines that, in IKAM's view, could not be solved by individual interest groups alone but required joint action. The association therefore sought to promote cooperation among as many stakeholders as possible and to create a basis for joint work through networking. It maintained a website answering relevant questions in the field, aimed at doctors, pharmacists and parents. IKAM also engaged with European and international developments. It sought contacts with paediatric initiatives and networks at European level. It followed the EU Paediatric Regulation (EC) No 1901/2006, in force since 2007, and the European Commission's June 2013 report to the European Parliament and Council, which concluded that much could have gone better while noting that paediatric research had become an increasingly integral part of pharmaceutical research. IKAM also referenced the US Food and Drug Administration's long-standing programme promoting paediatric drug development and the World Health Organization's work on adequate paediatric medicines, including its "Make Medicines Child Size" initiative. In a farewell message published on its website, Dr. Andreas Franken, together with the board, thanked supporters for 13 years and announced that the non-profit association IKAM would dissolve as of 31 December 2025 and that the website would no longer be available. He noted that the organisations, parties and individuals involved still did not regard the situation of paediatric medicines in Germany as perfect, and that supply shortages — especially of needed paediatric medicines — showed how important it was to stay in dialogue and find joint solutions. He said the initiative would continue to work for children's welfare in another form and elsewhere. The association's database ZAK — zugelassene Arzneimittel für Kinder (authorised medicines for children) — was to continue and remain available at www.zak-kinderarzneimittel.de.

Initiative Arzneimittel für Kinder e. V. (IKAM) was a German non-profit association based in Bonn-Bad Godesberg, in the Plittersdorf district. Its members came from the pharmaceutical industry, the pharmacy profession and research, together with the Bundesverband der Arzneimittel-Hersteller (German Medicines Manufacturers' Association). A scientific advisory board of experts supported the association's work. The initiative emerged from long-standing, well-known problems in the use of medicines in children. IKAM's stated position was that solutions to these problems were difficult for individual interest groups or participants to achieve and instead required joint action. Its goals therefore included raising awareness of paediatric medicines, improving health-policy conditions for developing medicines for children, networking partners active in the field, issuing recommendations for professionals and patients, connecting people with researchers, and acting as a point of contact for members, industry and policymakers. It also aimed to develop strategies and derive projects to improve drug safety in children, including investigating the efficacy and safety of medicines with patented and off-patent active substances, developing child-appropriate dosage forms, and recording and systematically evaluating empirical data on off-label use of medicines in children. The association maintained a website, arzneimittel4kids.de, answering relevant questions in the field and aimed at doctors, pharmacists and parents. It also sought contacts with paediatric initiatives and networks at European level. In this context it followed the EU Paediatric Regulation (EC) No 1901/2006, in force since 2007, which aimed to improve the availability of paediatric medicines across Europe. IKAM noted that the regulation's intentions were not fully assessed as successful, and that, as the European Commission's report set out, this was also due to insufficient support for individual projects by member states. The European Commission's report on paediatric medicines in Europe, presented in June 2013, was discussed in the German Bundestag's health committee on 12 March 2014. The report concluded that much could have gone better, while stating that paediatric research had increasingly become an integral part of pharmaceutical research; it would, however, be premature to expect final results at that point, and the positive effects of the 2007 regulation would only become apparent over the coming years. The interim analysis also identified initial weaknesses and unnecessary hurdles in the regulation, which were to be closely monitored and discussed with the EMA regarding implementation. IKAM also referenced international developments: the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had long had its own programme promoting and requiring the special development of medicines for children, and the World Health Organization (WHO) addressed the availability of adequate paediatric medicines in its work programmes, in particular the development of child-appropriate dosage forms through its "Make Medicines Child Size" initiative. In a farewell message published on its website, Dr. Andreas Franken, together with the board of the Initiative Arzneimittel für Kinder, thanked supporters for the past 13 years, especially members of the initiative, the advisory board and cooperation partners. He stated that all participating organisations, parties and individuals still did not regard the situation of paediatric medicines in Germany as perfect, and that the problem of supply shortages — especially of needed paediatric medicines — clearly showed how important it was to stay in dialogue and find joint solutions. He announced that the shared platform would no longer exist in this form and that the non-profit association IKAM would dissolve as of 31 December 2025, with the website no longer available. He assured readers that the initiative would continue to work for the welfare of children in another form and elsewhere. As a final piece of good news, he noted that the ZAK database — zugelassene Arzneimittel für Kinder (authorised medicines for children) — would continue and remain available at www.zak-kinderarzneimittel.de.

• EU Paediatric Regulation (EC) No 1901/2006 enters into force, aiming to improve available paediatric medicines across Europe; IKAM later follows its implementation.

• European Commission report on paediatric medicines in Europe presented to the European Parliament and Council.

• Paediatric medicines discussed in the health committee of the German Bundestag, including the EU Commission report.

• IKAM dissolves; website arzneimittel4kids.de discontinued; ZAK database continues at www.zak-kinderarzneimittel.de.

Non-profit, multi-stakeholder advocacy and information platform for paediatric medicines in Germany, linking industry, pharmacy, research and policymakers.

• ZAK – zugelassene Arzneimittel für Kinder

  Database of authorised medicines for children, announced to continue after IKAM's dissolution at www.zak-kinderarzneimittel.de.

• arzneimittel4kids.de

  Information website answering relevant questions on paediatric medicines, aimed at doctors, pharmacists and parents; discontinued with IKAM's dissolution.

1. 1Mitteilung von Dr. Andreas Frankenarzneimittel4kids.de
2. 2Initiative Arzneimittel für Kinder – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3Initiative Arzneimittel für Kinder – Wikidatawikidata.org