Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ICPerMed Secretariat (Secretariat for the International Consortium for Personalised Medicine (IC PerMed))

Teaser

The potential of Personalised Medicine (PM) is to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases by taking into account individuals\' genotypes and phenotypes as well as other biomedical, life style and environmental data. In the last decade, significant advancements...

Summary

The potential of Personalised Medicine (PM) is to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases by taking into account individuals\' genotypes and phenotypes as well as other biomedical, life style and environmental data. In the last decade, significant advancements have been made especially for cancer or rare diseases. However, due to fragmentation and high upfront-investments the implementation of PM remains challenging, besides the various ongoing research and implementation actions on European, national and regional level. To overcome these hurdles, the International Consortium for Personalised Medicine (ICPerMed) was initiated as a joint endeavour of the European Commission (EC) and over 40 funding organisations from 28 countries. ICPerMed aims at aligning present as well as future efforts in all areas of PM by fostering international coordination of research and innovation funding. For this purpose, ICPerMed develops and operates an international platform for collaboration between funders of PM research. It promotes an interdisciplinary approach to PM and generates policies, best practices, guidelines, and standards. Being the ICPerMed Secretariat, this project substantially contributes to the success of ICPerMed by efficiently coordinating all consortium activities, by implementing an effective dissemination plan and by assisting in the development of a sustainability strategy. By monitoring ongoing research funding activities in Europe and beyond, the secretariat serves as the basis for evidence-informed allocation of research funding. The ICPerMed Secretariat provides professional support in organising ICPerMed events and the meetings of ICPerMed bodies. In addition, it guides the dialogue with relevant stakeholders and initiatives. The organisational and logistical support of the ICPerMed Secretariat will maximise the unique and long-term impact of ICPerMed by strengthening the leading role of ICPerMed members in the successful implementation of PM in a global context.

Work performed

\"Research Coordination and Cooperation:

The ICPerMed chairs and ICPerMed bodies (ICPerMed Steering Board, ICPerMed Action Item Groups and ICPerMed Executive Committee) were supported in their organisational and logistical needs.

The ICPerMed Steering Board was established as a new ICPerMed body consisting of the three chairs, five challenge facilitators, five Action Item Group leads, the ICPerMed Secretariat and the European Commission as observer.

An ICPerMed event concept was drafted and approved by the ICPerMed Steering Board and submitted to the ICPerMed Executive Committee for discussion. The first ICPerMed Workshop entitled “Innovative Concepts on Data Generation and Use” was successfully conducted in 2017 in Milan, Italy.

The ICPerMed Action Plan was refined and detailed, and consensus built within in the ICPerMed Executive Committee. The Action Plan was published in March 2017.
The first ICPerMed Award \"\"Best Practice in Personalised Medicine\"\" was announced and conferred in 2018.

Creating Synergies:

The ICPerMed Secretariat is in constant exchange and dialogue with relevant stakeholders, ongoing and planned initiatives in all areas of PM. A functional e-mail address, a website with all relevant contact information and a stakeholder group were established to facilitate communication. This exchange works e.g. via invitation to ICPerMed meetings, workshops and conferences as well as via invitations accepted by ICPerMed members to other projects, initiatives and PM-relevant seminars, workshops and conferences. Further, the ICPerMed Partnering Tool was launched in August 2017. Until now, almost 400 people have registered with the tool.

Research and implementation policies:

The ICPerMed Secretariat collects information on PM-related initiatives, programmes, research projects and activities in Europe as well as on significant advances in research and implementation of PM on an international level. The ICPerMed Secretariat developed a mapping database that includes information about programmes allowing funding of research in the field of PM but also information of funding organisations within the different participating ICPerMed member/observer countries. The database went online in June 2018 and will be updated on a yearly basis.

Dissemination:

The secretariat developed a dissemination plan specifically tailored to the different target groups.
The ICPerMed secretariat has developed the following dissemination material: logos of ICPerMed and the ICPerMed Secretariat, a corporate design for ICPerMed an ICPerMed website (www.icpermed.eu).

The ICPerMed Secretariat published its first annual State-of-the-Art Report in 2017. The report assembles the outcome of different ICPerMed activities and allows ICPerMed to facilitate the follow-up of the development of PM research and its implementation throughout Europe and beyond.

Three newsletters and one flyer were prepared and published.

A press mailing list with contacts to scientific or medical journals and learned societies was established and seven press releases were published.

As an additional deliverable the ICPerMed Action Plan was prepared for publication (consensus building within ICPerMed members, layout, design, electronic and printed version).

Management:

The structure and processes for an overall management of the ICPerMed Secretariat itself was established.
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Final results

\"As the secretariat of ICPerMed, this projects assists the development and the various operations of an international platform for collaboration between funders of PM research, the major impact expected is based on the high strategic potential and uniqueness of ICPerMed itself. The secretariat supports the ICPerMed Executive Committee to coordinate research and innovation as well as networking efforts and dialogue not only across borders, regions and countries, but also across disciplines and sectors. Thus, the secretariat will significantly contribute to the success and long-term impact of ICPerMed by supporting its operation and by assisting in the interaction and cooperation with other relevant parties and key stakeholders in the area. It will maximise visibility of the consortium itself, of the results of the consortium’s work and of funding activities initiated by its members.

Furthermore, the secretariat will contribute to strengthening ICPerMed members’ leading role in the successful implementation of PM in the global context, provide support and guidance in balancing the research responsibilities regarding PM implementation between the EC and the MS, and provide a platform for \"\"innovation diplomacy\"\" in the area of PM going beyond health diplomacy and science diplomacy.
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Website & more info

More info: http://www.icpermed.eu.