Leading European experts from 20 academic institutions, 5 EFPIA (European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations) pharmaceutical organizations and two SMEs officially launched the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) project RHAPSODY. IMI is a unique Public Private Partnership between the pharmaceutical industry (represented by the EFPIA) and the European Union. The RHAPSODY project receives funding of more than EUR 18 million through the IMI2 programme, which includes an EC contribution of around EUR 8 million, matching the dedicated resources provided by participating pharma companies, as well as funding from the Swiss Sate Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).