Our Project

Obesity is a global pandemic, currently affecting around 150 million people in Europe and 650 million people worldwide. Obesity complications are common, in fact obesity is associated with some 200 complications, but we cannot yet predict who will develop the complications of obesitybe affected. Moreover, there are no predictors for who will respond to obesity treatments. SOPHIA will therefore identify and characterise clinically-meaningful subpopulations of patients with obesity using the right treatment for the right people at the right time. The research group will use this knowledge to change how the world talks about obesity based on new understandings and a new vocabulary. It all starts with obesity being a chronic disease, not something people choose to live with. Some of the methods used in SOPHIA will be:

  • Creating a database
  • Conducting analysis
  • Talking to patients to learn about what they fear and hope when it comes to obesity treatment
  • Finding a shared value with all stakeholders to ensure better treatment of people living with obesity.

Twenty-nine leading international players from academia, industry and civil society have joined forces to find better solutions to alleviate the burden and consequences of obesity. The project is supported with funding of € 16 million from the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), a joint undertaking of the European Commission and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), T1D Exchange, JDRF, International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and Obesity Action Coalition.