More than 65 internationally renowned scientists and medical professionals have signed a new Declaration. They are calling for a globally coordinated approach on research and drug development for ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and Long COVID. Announced on 12 May at the International ME/CFS Conference 2025 in Berlin by Prof Carmen Scheibenbogen (Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin) , the Declaration has since garnered growing international support
As of 1 September 2025, the Declaration has been signed by more than 60 international scientists and medical experts in 14 countries. The declaration recognises the growing public health crisis posed by ME/CFS and Long COVID and underlines the urgent need to advance biomedical research and substantially ramp up drug development efforts globally. To that end, it specifically calls for greater collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry.
Highlighting the moral, medical, societal and scientific imperative to increase research efforts to uncover the disease mechanisms underlying ME/CFS and Long COVID, the Declaration calls on governments and international bodies to prioritise research funding on both diseases. The signatories explicitly outline the need for more clinical trials and translational studies to investigate potential treatment options, including repurposed drugs. They also call on pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to be actively engaged and incentivised to invest in research and drug development.
The full text and list of signatories of the Declaration can be accessed on the following website:
Leading researchers’ comments:
Carmen Scheibenbogen (website, external link), head of the Immunodeficiency and Post-Infectious Diseases Unit and the Charité Fatigue Centre (CFC) at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and initiator of the declaration, describes her motivation for a global call for increased international cooperation: “Our understanding of what is causing ME/CFS and Long COVID has made notable progress in the past five years. We are now more confident than ever in being able to identify targets for biomedical treatments. Collectively, we must now concentrate our efforts on pinpointing suitable biomarkers and developing potentially curative treatments. This needs to happen globally and in close cooperation with governments and pharmaceutical companies. As the signatories of the International Declaration, we call on all potential partners to join us in this effort.”
Ziyad Al-Aly (website, external link), Director of the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology, Head of the Research and Development Service at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System and Professor of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, USA, emphasises his support for the declaration: “Long COVID and ME/CFS mount a significant burden not only on healthcare systems, but also on national economies and the society at large. From a public health perspective, it is paramount that we find ways to prevent and effectively treat these conditions. The cost of inaction in this regard would simply be too high. It is essential that funding organisations and private industry answer our call and actively engage with the research and patient community to address this global challenge.”
Akiko Iwasaki (website, external link), Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale University, USA, and signatory of the Declaration, emphasises the need for a joint effort on drug development: “Research and drug development in the field of Long COVID and ME/CFS must be prioritised, if we are to bring effective therapies to the people living with these conditions. I am convinced that, by joining efforts across disciplines and sectors, we will be able to make important strides in this endeavour. Harnessing the expertise and resources available to both basic science and industry will be of central importance. To this end, we are calling for establishing goal-oriented partnerships between academia, biotech and pharmaceutical industry.”
Takashi Yamamura (website, external link), Director of the Department of Immunology at the National Institute of Neuroscience and the Multiple Sclerosis Centre at the National Centre for Neurology and Psychiatry in Tokyo, Japan, who signed the declaration on 12 May, points to the need for greater international cooperation: “We are now rapidly advancing our understanding of ME/CFS and similar infections-associated conditions, including Long COVID. Against this backdrop, I believe there is a growing need for the global research community to come together and jointly elaborate on the way forward in terms of research and treatment development. I am convinced that, by pooling our knowledge and resources across countries, we can create important synergies that will ultimately help us to deliver faster on making therapies available to patients.”
David Putrino (website, external link), Professor of Rehabilitation and Human Performance at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA, who also signed on to the declaration at the conference in Berlin, reiterates the need for more research: “There is an urgent need to provide tailored medical care to the millions of people living with post-acute infection syndromes. While some efforts are already underway to find effective treatments, we urgently need more research and clinical trials to achieve timely results. As scientists and doctors, we will do our best to leverage our expertise and advance our understanding on how to diagnose, treat and ultimately prevent these conditions. Establishing partnerships with the private sector can take us a long way in achieving this.”
The “International Declaration in Support of Research and Drug Development for ME/CFS and Long COVID” is an independent initiative by its signatories. The ME/CFS Research Foundation is making the Declaration available on its website on behalf of the signatories, as the document was first presented at the International ME/CFS Conference 2025, which was organised with the support of the Foundation.
How can you support the work of the ME/CFS Research Foundation?
There is still a long way to go before diagnosis, care and treatment of ME/CFS patients will one day become a medical and social standard. We at the ME/CFS Research Foundation are focussing on biomedical research, which we see as the key element in solving these problems (more on this in our research funding strategy and in our half year report summer 2025, which summarises our activities). To do this, we need extensive support from private donors – those affected, relatives, families, friends, associations, schools, networks, companies, initiatives, event organisers and all supporters. And if you are not able to provide direct support, you can share our story and motivate others to help. Because only together can such a feat be achieved.
We fully translate donations and other support into scientifically excellent research, networking and ultimately visible successes, i.e. better ME/CFS diagnostics and therapies. We are happy to work together with other organisations and initiatives - please contact us!
We appreciate all kinds of support:
Please subscribe to our newsletter:
And please help us expand our reach by following us on social media:
Thank you for your support!
