Integrating China in the International Consortium for Personalised Medicine. A position Paper on Personalised Medicine in Sustainable Healthcare

Abstract

Introduction Over the last decade, the emergence and spread of Personalised Medicine (PM) has defined a substantial revolution in healthcare. In principle, healthcare system sustainability is challenged by the investments required for research and development, as well as the adoption of PM techniques in routine clinical care. The “Integrating China in the International Consortium for Personalised Medicine” (IC2PerMed) EU-funded project aims to integrate China into the “International Consortium for Personalised Medicine” (ICPerMed). IC2PerMed aims to align the EU and China’s research agendas in this field to enable a swift development of approaches in the EU and China with strong leverage upon EU-Chinese collaborations. Methods Within this project, we firstly mapped relevant policies on PM in both the EU and China, then we involved European and Chinese experts in PM in workshops and Delphi Surveys in order to identify relevant priorities for the implementation of PM in sustainable healthcare. Results As a result of this process, we identified nine overarching priorities, each addressing specific aspects of the sustainability of healthcare systems and PM implementation, with the main goal of supporting policymakers in integrating PM approaches in the EU and China. Discussion/conclusion The implementation of PM in health systems is appealing in terms of improved accuracy in diagnostics, treatment and prevention of disease, as well as reduction of the side effects resulting from inefficient use of drugs. Research, development, and implementation of needed techniques require time and resources, that can slow the adoption of PM in healthcare systems. The nine priorities we identified address some of the most critical points, trying to lay the foundations for a comprehensive approach.