NEFRO-NL – To promote scientific research related to kidney diseases (nephrology) in the Netherlands

NEFRO-NL: Nephrology Research Organization The Netherlands

Nephrology Research Organization The Netherlands (in Dutch: NEFRO-NL) is an innovative nationwide network where academic and non-academic healthcare institutions in The Netherlands collaborate. We facilitate the conduct of both investigator- and industry-initiated multicenter clinical trials, leading to better care for kidney patients with a global impact.

“We achieve faster and better results thanks to
NEFRO-NL” – Prof. L.Vogt, Nephrologist, Amsterdam UMC

NEFRO-NL facilitates patient-oriented research by connecting research initiators with several of our >15 NEFRO-NL hospitals in The Netherlands. Our network organization boosts the efficiency of clinical research initiation and execution.

Our Mission & Vision

Mission: Beat kidney disease by boosting research collaboration

NEFRO-NL was founded in February 2025 by 11 Dutch nephrologists. In the increasingly complex landscape of clinical research, starting new trials is a challenging and
time-intensive effort. NEFRO-NL stands for a research network with nation-wide coverage where collaboration, efficiency and support are crucial. Thereby, we facilitate a rapid and efficient initiation and execution of clinical research, mostly clinical trials. We believe that by boosting research efforts together, kidney disease can be beaten.

Our vision: Enable each kidney patient to participate in research

NEFRO-NL is a central hub where researchers from >15 hospitals are represented. Our vision is to grow over the coming years to a network that includes all Dutch healthcare institutes where care for kidney patients is present. We aim to make the participation in clinical trials, either nationally or internationally, easier and more accessible for physicians, hospitals and patients. Centralizing specific administrative processes will make them much more efficient, making The Netherlands more attractive as a trial country. Our valuable experts enhance the quality of research ideas and designs, and our trial managers ensure that ongoing research progresses smoothly, making sure that goals are reached in time.

How We Work

We connect research initiators, which could be either investigators or pharmaceutical companies, with healthcare centers. Initiators with a research plan and budget can contact NEFRO-NL ( info@nefro-nl.nl ) as a central portal to get access to >35,000 Dutch kidney patients, ranging from stages G1-G5D and transplanted patients.

Our central organization facilitates that approved research projects are offered to all centers, and their interest is communicated rapidly with the initiator. We subsequently coordinate processes like confidentiality agreements, the clinical trial agreement and budget negotiations. Once the trial has started, we monitor its progress at each site and adapt where needed to make sure that the goals that were set are reached in time. Finally, our working groups, consisting of key opinion leaders in their fields, come up with innovative research proposals themselves, that are subsequently rolled out within the network.

Pharmaceutical companies

NEFRO-NL collaborates closely with pharmaceutical companies. Through our careful site selection procedure, we can aid in identification of healthcare institutes and researchers that can participate in clinical trials. Many NEFRO-NL sites have longstanding collaborations, making NEFRO-NL a strong clinical network. NEFRO-NL offers faster exchange of information and conduct of clinical trials, through standardized workflows and efficient procedures.

Healthcare institutions

NEFRO-NL offers healthcare institutions easier access and the opportunity to participate in studies initiated by either pharmaceutical companies or researchers. NEFRO-NL can also support research centers by taking over administrative tasks, supporting and maintaining strong trial units.

Researchers

Researchers from healthcare institutions are involved in NEFRO-NL in various ways. First, physician-researchers coordinate and execute clinical trials. Second, our researchers are organized within working groups (see below) that evaluate proposals and initiate new research. Finally, we give advice on regulatory, methodological, data storage aspects and much more. While our main focus is clinical trials, we are also open to observational studies and other types of research in the field of nephrology.

Contact NEFRO-NL

Nephrology Research Organization Netherlands (NEFRO-NL)

Would you like to know more about our foundation, or would you like to use our services? Please reach out to Sara at info@nefro-nl.nl and we will answer you as soon as possible.

Sara Roscioni, project manager