Integrating China in the International Consortium for Personalised Medicine

Project Information

IC2PerMed

Grant agreement ID: 874694

DOI

10.3030/874694

Project closed

EC signature date 12 December 2019

Start date 1 January 2020

End date 31 December 2023

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Health, demographic change and well-being

Total cost

€ 2 135 187,50

EU contribution

€ 1 691 437,50

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITA CATTOLICA DEL SACRO CUORE
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - IC2PerMed (Integrating China in the International Consortium for Personalised Medicine)

Reporting period: 2022-01-01 to 2023-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The IC2PerMed project aims to facilitate the convergence of European and Chinese stakeholders in the field of Personalized Medicine (PM), engaging policymakers and healthcare beneficiaries. The project envisions becoming a catalyst for effective EU-China collaboration in PM research, with the ultimate goal of providing populations access to personalized, intelligent, and inclusive healthcare solutions. Biomedical and digital technological advancements have positioned PM to enhance healthcare and contribute to more efficient and sustainable health systems. Leveraging PM as an opportunity requires international stakeholder engagement to define common research and development approaches, standards, and priorities. In response to these challenges, the EU supports actions within the framework of the International Consortium for Personalised Medicine (ICPerMed).
The EU-funded IC2PerMed project aims to harmonize European and Chinese stakeholders under ICPerMed, fostering a shared approach to PM that involves policymakers and healthcare beneficiaries. The overall objective is structured around four main pillars:

1. Mapping: Identifying relevant Chinese and EU policies, programs, stakeholders, and standards, with a focus on envisioning benefits for the healthcare ecosystem and the population.
2. Expertising: Building upon exchanges between experts in PM domains to foster actionable approaches and enhance expertise in the field.
3. Exemplifying: Demonstrating concrete practices of successful collaboration, particularly centered around a core PM thematic (biobanks), to illustrate and inspire research collaborations.
4. Engaging: Establishing robust connections with key stakeholders from the EU, China, and beyond, integrating Chinese stakeholders into ICPerMed, and fostering collaboration with international peers.

The development of these pillars offers a comprehensive overview, mapping the current strategic areas of interest, priorities, and initiatives related to PM between Europe and China, as discussed during expert working groups. This effort aims to identify PM priorities and elaborate a Roadmap that presents key findings and strategies for implementing personalized medicine in the EU and China, focusing on best practices exchange and overcoming potential obstacles. The Roadmap, recognized by both the EU and China, emphasizes the customization of healthcare based on individuals' unique characteristics, promising improved health outcomes and sustainable healthcare systems. It delineates a strategic framework emphasizing initiatives such as health literacy enhancement, cross-sectoral collaboration, technology evaluation, and ethical considerations, providing a blueprint for global healthcare advancement.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The IC2PerMed project encompasses four distinct Work Packages, each contributing to the overall goal of advancing personalized medicine collaboration between Europe and China.

Work Package 1 - Mapping of policies and programmes in Europe and China

Led by S2i, this work package brought together participants from UCSC, FTELE, BBMRI-ERIC, GAC, BGI, NCC, and TSINGHUA. The primary objective was to conduct an extensive mapping of the entire Personalized Medicine (PM) ecosystem in both the European Union (EU) and China. Three key deliverables were produced, laying the groundwork for subsequent work packages, namely WP2 and WP3.

Outcomes:
- Generated six academic papers.
- Approved Deliverables: D1.1 D1.2 D1.3.
- Completed Tasks: 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4.
- Achieved Milestone 1.

Work Package 2 - Knowledge synthesis on the identification, transferability, and scaling up of international standards in personalized medicine

Under the leadership of UCSC, with the participation of FTELE, S2i, BBMRI-ERIC, GAC, BGI, NCC, and TSINGHUA, WP2 aimed to design a framework and strategies for integrating Chinese participation in ICPerMed. This involved the establishment of working groups, conducting workshops, and crafting the final IC2PerMed Roadmap.

Outcomes:
- Produced scientific publications and position papers.
- Approved Deliverables: D2.1; Submitted D2.2 and D2.3.
- Completed Tasks: 2.1 2.2 2.3.
- Achieved Milestones 2 and 3.

Work Package 3 - Foster research collaboration between EU and China

Led by FTELE and involving UCSC, S2i, BBMRI-ERIC, INNO, BGI, NCC, and TSINGHUA, WP3 aimed to facilitate extensive collaborations in research with shared objectives, emphasizing engagement with ICPerMed and Chinese entities.

Outcomes:
- Successfully engaged with ICPerMed and conducted delegation visits.
- Submitted Deliverables: D3.1 D3.2 D3.3.
- Completed Tasks: 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4.
- Achieved Milestones 4 and 5.

Work Package 4 - Communication, dissemination, outreach, and exploitation

Led by GAC, this work package aimed to maximize the impact of IC2PerMed through effective communication, dissemination, outreach, and exploitation activities.

Outcomes:
- Developed a communication plan, website, and communication kit.
- Published news, scientific publications, and policy briefs.
- Released newsletters jointly developed with the SINO-EU PerMed project.
- Maintained a social media presence on LinkedIn and WeChat.

Additionaly two further Work Packages have overseen the Ethic and Management of the project.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The project is set to make a big contribution to Precision Medicine (PM) in the collaboration between the EU and China. This collaboration covers research, innovation, and policies. We did mapping and talked to experts to find chances for working together, solve problems, and identify areas that need checking. The project Roadmap was then created, summarizing important findings and strategies for using personalized medicine in the EU and China. We aim to share good practices and overcome challenges.
We carefully studied personalized medicine in the EU and China, mapping policies, programs, funding, and health systems. The IC2PerMed Roadmap lays out a plan to fully use personalized medicine, changing healthcare and supporting public health. This involves improving health knowledge, encouraging collaboration across sectors and countries, regularly checking and adjusting technologies, and helping innovative solutions enter the market by assessing needs and health technology. The Roadmap stresses the importance of data sharing and common standards on international platforms. It also recognizes the global importance of ethical, social, and regulatory aspects in personalized medicine.
The Roadmap, combining results from both sides, acts as a guide, showing how personalized medicine can transform healthcare globally. It helps make health policy decisions and encourages efforts from everyone involved.
We shared these findings through scientific papers on our website, with more coming. The project worked with similar initiatives like SINO-EU Permed and the SENET project. We organized events and made joint newsletters. ICPerMed also supported us by sharing our publications and Roadmap on its website.
Lastly, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by partners from China and Europe, along with external entities, shows a commitment to supporting the project's results for the long term.

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