About ERN LUNG
Expertise
OUR WORK
patients
clinicians
ERN-LUNG Academy

The ERN-LUNG Academy is a curriculum for medical staff at any stage of their career, who wishes to get a proof of knowledge on rare respiratory diseases. It consists of Webinars and eCases, but also includes on-site training in ERN-LUNG Centers. We call for applications from participants of EU-member States from September to November each year. Classes start in January. If you wish to apply for next year’s class, please send a letter of motivation to info@ern-lung.eu

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EMAIL-APPLICATION
ERN-LUNG Online advance system

The EXpert Advisory BOard (EXABO) is a pan-European internet platform, which has been developed in the context of ERN-LUNG in liaison with the Medical Informatics Group of University Hospital Frankfurt, to answer questions on all aspects of rare respiratory diseases. The platform is primarily aimed at patients and care team members but is openly accessible by anyone who wants to ask a related question.

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NETWORK
News

EUROPEAN REFERENCE NETWORKS (ERNs)

European Reference Networks (ERNs) are virtual networks connecting highly specialized healthcare providers across Europe.
Established under EU Directive 2011/24/EU, these networks ensure that patients with rare or complex respiratory conditions have access to top-tier medical expertise, regardless of where they live.In the EU, between 5,000 and 8,000 rare diseases affect around 30 million people. Because expertise is often scarce and scattered, ERN-LUNG coordinates 87 medical centers across 25 EU Member States and Norway to centralize knowledge, improve diagnoses, and optimize patient care.

How ERN-LUNG operates

European Reference Networks do not treat individual patients directly. Instead, we connect medical expertise across borders. With your consent, your local healthcare provider can securely refer your medical data to the relevant ERN member in your country.Using dedicated digital IT platforms and advanced telemedicine tools, network coordinators convene virtual advisory panels. These panels bring together medical specialists from different disciplines across Europe to consult, share knowledge, and review complex patient diagnoses and treatment plans.

– Development of guidelines, training and knowledge exchange
– Facilitation of large clinical studies to improve understanding of diseases
– Development of new drugs and medical devices by gathering patient data
– Development of new care models, e-Health solutions and tools

Our key focus areas

Pillar 1: Clinical Guidelines, Training, and Knowledge Exchange
We continuously standardize and elevate rare disease medical care across Europe by developing comprehensive clinical practice guidelines. Through the ERN-LUNG Academy, our network hosts specialized educational webinars, designs advanced curricula for medical staff, and facilitates on-site clinical training at our certified reference centers to ensure global expertise is shared effectively.
 
Pillar 2: Facilitating Advanced Clinical Research
We coordinate and support large-scale international clinical studies to deepen the global medical understanding of rare respiratory conditions. By bridging highly specialized healthcare units across multiple European countries, we break down geographical isolation and gather the critical mass of clinical data necessary to track rare disease progression and find answers.
 
Pillar 3: Orphan Drugs and Medical Device Innovation
Developing targeted treatments for low-prevalence conditions is uniquely challenging due to scattered patient populations. We overcome this by securely pooling global patient data through our centralized European registries and biobanks. This collaborative data warehouse serves as a critical foundation that accelerates the development of new orphan drugs and innovative medical devices.
 
Pillar 4: Digital Health Solutions and Care Models
We actively shape the future of specialized medicine by designing next-generation care models and cutting-edge e-Health tools. By continuously optimizing dedicated telemedicine infrastructure like the Clinical Patient Management System, we enable cross-border virtual consultation panels that bring top-tier medical advice directly to patients, wherever they are.
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"EU Protects" campaign

The ERNs are featured in the Commission’s EU Protects campaign which aims to raise awareness of the ways in which the EU combats global challenges to protect its citizens.  At the core of the campaign is the production of a series of engaging videos and web features that cover 4 critical areas: migration and global stability, crime and terrorism, the economic situation, and health and the environment. These videos and features showcase real-life stories from the point of view of individuals from European countries that have been involved in an actual safety or security incident, challenge or project, providing an authentic demonstration of European solidarity and collaboration. The ERNs are an example of how a strong and efficient European collaboration can make a difference in the life of some persons.