Background
SwedPedMed (Swedish Pediatric Medicines) emerged during the latter part of the 2010s as an independent, non‑commercial network working to develop medicines for children in an ethical manner. In the initial startup of the network it was based at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, later relocating to the Pediatric Clinical Research Center (PCRC) at Drottning Silvias Barnsjukhus, Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg.
In May 2018, SwedPedMed became the National Hub for Sweden in the EU project Conect4Children (c4c). This project involved 20 countries and worked to develop procedures for pediatric clinical trials and to provide a single point of contact for sponsors seeking to initiate pediatric studies. The project concluded in April 2025 and was taken over by the c4c-Stichting foundation — a non‑profit legal entity in which SwedPedMed is a member and acts as the National Hub for Sweden.
The pediatric clinical research units in Gothenburg and Stockholm have established relationships to support a joint network—nationally and internationally—with the aim of giving more children the opportunity to participate in clinical drug trials. Recently, two units from Skåne University Hospital joined the network. Continued expansion is needed to enable more studies to open in Sweden and to ensure that children across the entire country can be included in safe pediatric clinical trials.
Purpose and goals
SwedPedMed works toward three main objectives:
- Children living in Sweden shall have the right and opportunity to participate in clinical studies regardless of place of residence.
- To make Sweden an attractive country for clinical trials.
- To establish contact with SweTrial and highlight the specific conditions related to pediatric research.