Periodic Reporting for period 3 - SINO-EU-PerMed (Widening Sino‐EU policy and research cooperation in Personalised Medicine)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-07-01 al 2024-06-30
Personalised medicine (PM) approaches have immense potential to improve the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and prevention strategies by taking into account an individual's genotype and phenotype, biomedical, lifestyle or environmental data. PM is about improving people's lives, fighting diseases and preventing them at an early stage. PM therefore requires a holistic approach that can only be achieved through a global effort. The International Consortium for Personalised Medicine (ICPerMed) is an initiative of more than 40 international ministries and funding agencies, driven by their member states. ICPerMed aims to align efforts in all areas of PM by promoting international coordination of research and innovation funding. To support these efforts, the "Widening Sino-EU policy and research cooperation in Personalised Medicine" (Sino-EU PerMed) aimed to link ICPerMed strategies and activities with relevant Chinese stakeholders. The cooperation with China established in Sino-EU PerMed will allow ICPerMed to further strengthen Europe's leading role in this field. It will also contribute to the successful implementation of PM in a global context and promote joint PM projects between Europe and China.
The project brought together the main PM related stakeholders in Europe and China within the consortium itself, but even more through the implementation of the activities. Together, they are worked towards the following specific objectives to:
• gain knowledge and understanding of the scientific and policy landscape and its main players within PerMed in China.
• engage relevant PM stakeholders in China and Europe and discuss the main needs and barriers for PerMed research and policy implementation.
• involve stakeholders in China and in Europe from many provinces and countries, covering existing excellence and diversity in both regions and reducing existing gaps.
• analyse the potential and advantages of collaboration in PM between China and EU countries.
• build links between Chinese and European organisations and research centres with an interest in PM R&I and policy and to foster their participation in ICPerMed.
• analyse and discuss with major Chinese stakeholders the way forward to integrate China in the ICPerMed challenge groups, workshops, conferences and other events and initiatives.
• contribute to raising awareness of PM and to promote the establishment of international standards in cooperation with ICPerMed.
• disseminate and communicate project activities and main results.
In conclusion, the Sino-EU PerMed project has been successful in identifying and connecting relevant stakeholders in Europe and China and in building awareness of PM standards and implementation not only in the field of science and technology, but also in ethical, legal and social aspects.
The project brought together the main PM related stakeholders in Europe and China within the consortium itself, but even more through the implementation of the activities. Together, they are worked towards the following specific objectives to:
• gain knowledge and understanding of the scientific and policy landscape and its main players within PerMed in China.
• engage relevant PM stakeholders in China and Europe and discuss the main needs and barriers for PerMed research and policy implementation.
• involve stakeholders in China and in Europe from many provinces and countries, covering existing excellence and diversity in both regions and reducing existing gaps.
• analyse the potential and advantages of collaboration in PM between China and EU countries.
• build links between Chinese and European organisations and research centres with an interest in PM R&I and policy and to foster their participation in ICPerMed.
• analyse and discuss with major Chinese stakeholders the way forward to integrate China in the ICPerMed challenge groups, workshops, conferences and other events and initiatives.
• contribute to raising awareness of PM and to promote the establishment of international standards in cooperation with ICPerMed.
• disseminate and communicate project activities and main results.
In conclusion, the Sino-EU PerMed project has been successful in identifying and connecting relevant stakeholders in Europe and China and in building awareness of PM standards and implementation not only in the field of science and technology, but also in ethical, legal and social aspects.
The project was divided into 5 work packages. The work described here covers all activities from the beginning of the project up to the last reporting period.
WP1 day-to-day project management and communication and dissemination activities: A data management plan and a quality assurance plan has been prepared. After the launch of the Sino-EU PerMed website in 2020, it has been regularly updated. A total of 5 newsletters were published jointly with IC2PerMed in English and Chinese. 21 press releases were published. A total of 5 annual General Assembly meetings were held. Every 2-4 weeks online consortium meetings were held. Information exchange with ICPerMed, ERAPerMed, IC2PerMed, EP PerMed and the EC has taken place. A communication and dissemination plan has been established and regularly updated. During the last period, an exploitation plan has been developed.
WP2 identification of stakeholdes and framework conditions: A mapping of publications and patents was carried out in 2020. Based on this mapping, an article was published. In addition, relevant stakeholders were identified. An SWOT-analysis to better promote and support China's participation in ICPerMed was carried out. Due to restrictions during the Corona pandemic, a delayed hybrid stakeholder workshop was held in 2022, followed by the publication of a Policy Brief on S&T. In 2023, the mapping was updated. Based on the new results, an online database was developed. A second paper was published in a preprint repository.
WP3 networking of Chinese stakeholders with ICPerMed and the exchange between R&I: During the first years of the project, an action plan and a travel grant scheme were developed. Due to the corona pandemic, travel between the two regions was not possible until 2023. Together with IC2PerMed, contacts with MoST were facilitated. As travel restrictions between Europe and China has been made easier in the spring of 2023, the prepartion of the Clover Leaf Tours started. The first Clover Leaf Tour invited Chinese researchers to visit institutions in Europe, the second delegation visit invited European researchers to visit institutions in China and the third visit focused on bringing ELSA experts to China. During the last visit, initial meetings were held with relevant organisations for joining ICPerMed.
WP4 knowledge hub: A Science and Technology Task Force and an ELSA Task Force were established with relevant experts from Europe and China. Three S&T workshops have been organised. Two online workshops and one hybrid workshop. Regular exchanges with the Sino-EU S&T Task Force. A workshop on ELSA was held in last year. A policy brief was published based on the discussions.
WP5 ethical aspects: In the first months, an assessment was carried out.
Key Results Dissemination and Exploitation strategy
Mapping Data Base
1.Communication/Dissemination activities before end of project e.g EURACTIV Media partnership, etc.
2.Implementation into EP PerMed
3.Upgrade of the mapping integration with data from the database ClinicalTrials.gov
S&T Policy Brief and ELSA Policy Brief
1.Communication activities before end of project e.g EURACTIV Media partnership, etc.
2.Implementation of Policy Briefs on the ICPerMed and EP PerMed websites
3.Publication of ELSA Policy Brief in public journal
4.Uptake recommendations into EP PerMed working groups
Established S&T contacts in China and Europe and to governmental organizations
1. Key Chinese stakeholders become members of scientific boards etc. of ICPerMed/EP PerMed.
2.Integration of a governmental organizations into ICPerMed/EP Permed
WP1 day-to-day project management and communication and dissemination activities: A data management plan and a quality assurance plan has been prepared. After the launch of the Sino-EU PerMed website in 2020, it has been regularly updated. A total of 5 newsletters were published jointly with IC2PerMed in English and Chinese. 21 press releases were published. A total of 5 annual General Assembly meetings were held. Every 2-4 weeks online consortium meetings were held. Information exchange with ICPerMed, ERAPerMed, IC2PerMed, EP PerMed and the EC has taken place. A communication and dissemination plan has been established and regularly updated. During the last period, an exploitation plan has been developed.
WP2 identification of stakeholdes and framework conditions: A mapping of publications and patents was carried out in 2020. Based on this mapping, an article was published. In addition, relevant stakeholders were identified. An SWOT-analysis to better promote and support China's participation in ICPerMed was carried out. Due to restrictions during the Corona pandemic, a delayed hybrid stakeholder workshop was held in 2022, followed by the publication of a Policy Brief on S&T. In 2023, the mapping was updated. Based on the new results, an online database was developed. A second paper was published in a preprint repository.
WP3 networking of Chinese stakeholders with ICPerMed and the exchange between R&I: During the first years of the project, an action plan and a travel grant scheme were developed. Due to the corona pandemic, travel between the two regions was not possible until 2023. Together with IC2PerMed, contacts with MoST were facilitated. As travel restrictions between Europe and China has been made easier in the spring of 2023, the prepartion of the Clover Leaf Tours started. The first Clover Leaf Tour invited Chinese researchers to visit institutions in Europe, the second delegation visit invited European researchers to visit institutions in China and the third visit focused on bringing ELSA experts to China. During the last visit, initial meetings were held with relevant organisations for joining ICPerMed.
WP4 knowledge hub: A Science and Technology Task Force and an ELSA Task Force were established with relevant experts from Europe and China. Three S&T workshops have been organised. Two online workshops and one hybrid workshop. Regular exchanges with the Sino-EU S&T Task Force. A workshop on ELSA was held in last year. A policy brief was published based on the discussions.
WP5 ethical aspects: In the first months, an assessment was carried out.
Key Results Dissemination and Exploitation strategy
Mapping Data Base
1.Communication/Dissemination activities before end of project e.g EURACTIV Media partnership, etc.
2.Implementation into EP PerMed
3.Upgrade of the mapping integration with data from the database ClinicalTrials.gov
S&T Policy Brief and ELSA Policy Brief
1.Communication activities before end of project e.g EURACTIV Media partnership, etc.
2.Implementation of Policy Briefs on the ICPerMed and EP PerMed websites
3.Publication of ELSA Policy Brief in public journal
4.Uptake recommendations into EP PerMed working groups
Established S&T contacts in China and Europe and to governmental organizations
1. Key Chinese stakeholders become members of scientific boards etc. of ICPerMed/EP PerMed.
2.Integration of a governmental organizations into ICPerMed/EP Permed
By the end of the project, an overview of the Chinese PM landscape was to be created. A lively exchange between European and Chinese experts in personalised medicine took place and a network was established. This networking should lead to an improvement in PM structures in both regions and create awareness of the various approaches that can be used to improve the well-being of the population. The established contacts and the recommendations of the policy briefs will be incorporated into the new partnership for personalised medicine (EP PerMed) and ICPerMed. Its will impact on the implemantation of PM in both regions. The Clover Leaf Tour will have an impact on the PM network between Europe and China and lay the foundation for fruitful collaborations.
The focus of the project was always on supporting international structures to improve the well-being of the patient in order to provide the best possible support for diagnosis/therapy/medical treatment and the related ethical, legal and societal issues and therewith serve the SDG3.
The focus of the project was always on supporting international structures to improve the well-being of the patient in order to provide the best possible support for diagnosis/therapy/medical treatment and the related ethical, legal and societal issues and therewith serve the SDG3.