EPPICC

European Pregnancy and Paediatric Infections Cohort Collaboration

EPPICC is a multi-country cohort collaboration conducting epidemiological research on infections in pregnant women and children, with particular focus on HIV, TB and viral hepatitis.

What is this study about?

EPPICC’s programme of work encompasses individual patient data meta-analyses, pharmacovigilance projects and other observational studies. This programme focuses on scientific questions requiring a large sample size of patients which the contributing cohorts cannot answer individually and/or which do not overlap with existing projects or collaborations between participating cohorts. Further details of the EPPICC paediatric studies can be found here: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04677842

EPPICC is part of the Collaborative Initiative for Paediatric HIV Education and Research (CIPHER) Global Cohort Collaboration which brings together the largest collaboration of paediatric and adolescent HIV observational cohort networks to date (www.iasociety.org/HIV-programmes/Paediatrics-CIPHER/Global-Cohort-Collaboration).

EPPICC forms part of the Penta global paediatric research network. It is coordinated at University College London (UCL), jointly by the MRC Clinical Trials Unit and the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health.

One of the ongoing studies within EPPICC is the ‘COVID-19 in children and young people living with HIV: an EPPICC-CIPHER global cohort collaboration (short name: EPPICC COVID-19)’ which aims to assess the direct and indirect impact of COVID-19 in children and adolescents living with HIV across Europe and South Africa. This includes a sub-study on seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in this population and how this changes over time (for further details, see https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04726137). As part of this study, we have developed a core data specification tool and case report forms for reporting COVID-19 and multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) in the paediatric HIV population which can be downloaded.

Type of study

Observational study

Who is funding the study?

EPPICC is primarily funded by pharmaceutical companies through its pharmacovigilance programme of work. It has also received funding from the IAS Collaborative Initiative for Paediatric HIV Education and Research (CIPHER) initiative, and was part of the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under EuroCoord grant agreement number 260694.

The EPPICC COVID-19 project is funded by ViiV Healthcare.

When is it taking place?

EPPICC is an ongoing cohort collaboration that started in 2011. The EPPICC COVID-19 project began in October 2021 and will be completed in October 2022.

Where is it taking place?

EPPICC includes cohorts from 18 countries across Eastern and Western Europe and also Thailand. EPPICC COVID-19 also includes a cohort in South Africa.

Who is included?

Our studies focus on the following populations: - pregnant women living with HIV and children exposed to HIV in utero - children and young people living with HIV, TB and viral hepatitis

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