Our Background

Inspired by Professor Alberto Martini and Professor Nicolino Ruperto and their close collaboration with Drs. Edward Giannini and Daniel Lovell from the Paediatric Rheumatology Collaborative Study Group (PRCSG) in Cincinnati, in 1996 the Paediatric Rheumatology INternational Trials Organisation (PRINTO) emerged as a non-profit, non-governmental, international research network, which initially included paediatric rheumatology leaders from 14 European countries.

Originating in Pavia (Italy), thanks to the initial support of the Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 5 years later PRINTO moved to the hospital IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini in Genoa, where the organization’s research activities significatively developed. In 2020, PRINTO developed into a legal entity, notably a charity called Fondazione PRINTO ETS*. Since October 2024, Fondazione PRINTO has moved to Milan and continues its commitment to pursue excellence in clinical research to ultimately improve the lives of children with rheumatic diseases.

Thanks to the alliance with PRCSG, several clinical trials have been conducted, leading to FDA, EMA and worldwide approval of biological treatments for children. Through collaborative work on different methodological papers, PRINTO and PRCSG enhanced the identification of patients’ disease state and activities, improved the efficiency of study designs, and optimized the standardization of data handling, from collection to reporting.

Pivotal to the growth of Fondazione PRINTO has been the partnership with the Pediatric Rheumatology European Society (PReS), the leading European scientific society for healthcare professionals focused on paediatric rheumatology. Fondazione PRINTO has been a co-opted member of PReS since its inception. Dedicated to advancing excellence in paediatric rheumatology, PReS fosters top-tier clinical care, training, education, research, and leadership among healthcare professionals and scientists globally.