MELANOMA PATIENT NETWORK EUROPE

Their core work

Melanoma Patient Network Europe is a patient advocacy organization that represents the voice of melanoma patients in European research and healthcare initiatives. They contribute patient perspectives, real-world needs, and community engagement to clinical and technology-driven research projects focused on melanoma diagnosis and treatment. Their involvement ensures that research outcomes are relevant, accessible, and aligned with what patients actually need — from rare uveal melanoma therapies to AI-powered early detection tools.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

MPNE's early H2020 involvement (2016-2018) focused on traditional clinical research — supporting new therapies for uveal melanoma and contributing to a rare disease digital community platform. Their most recent project, iToBoS (2021-2025), marks a clear shift toward AI and digital diagnostic technologies, with keywords like explainable AI, total body mapping, and personalised diagnosis appearing for the first time. This progression shows a patient organization increasingly engaging with advanced technology rather than solely therapy-oriented research.

MPNE is moving from traditional patient advocacy into technology-enabled precision medicine, making them a valuable patient-side partner for AI-in-healthcare projects.

How they like to work

MPNE always participates as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as a patient advocacy organization that brings the patient perspective rather than leading technical development. With 43 unique consortium partners across 15 countries in just 3 projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia. This suggests they are a trusted patient-engagement partner that research teams invite when they need authentic patient input and community access.

Despite only 3 projects, MPNE has built a network of 43 partners across 15 countries, indicating involvement in large pan-European consortia. Their reach spans broadly across the EU, reflecting the cross-border nature of melanoma research and rare disease communities.

What sets them apart

MPNE occupies a rare niche: a patient advocacy organization with direct experience in both clinical research and AI-driven diagnostics. For consortium builders, they offer something universities and companies cannot — genuine patient community access, lived-experience insights, and the ability to ensure research remains patient-relevant. Their track record across therapy development, digital platforms, and AI diagnostics makes them unusually versatile for a patient network.

Highlights from their portfolio

• iToBoS
  Their largest-funded project (EUR 167,531), combining AI, explainable AI, and total body scanning for melanoma — a significant technology leap for a patient organization.
• SHARE4RARE
  Their best-funded project (EUR 184,300), building a collective intelligence platform for rare disease patients across Europe.