What’s in for 2016
We closed 2015 on the achievement of major milestones and facing 2016 with important developments for our organisation.
EPEMED played a key role in providing expert guidance and contribution to elaborate on a centric health prerogative of the EU Presidency, “Making Access to Personalised Medicine a Reality for Patients”, at the July High Level European conference endorsed by the Luxembourg Ministry of Health. The conference’s main results fed into draft council conclusions submitted by Lydia Mutsch, Luxembourg Minister of Health, to health ministers during the EPSCO Council and adopted by the Council on 7 December 2015 (you can access the outcome of proceedings on our web news section). Personalised Medicine will thus remain on the political agenda and European health priorities as Netherlands takes over the EU presidency.
Our different actions provide an opportunity to extend our contribution beyond this major event and implement collectively concrete and practical solutions to facilitate better access to personalised medicine and diagnostics for European patients.
Indeed, we are reaching the final phase of the next major initiative led under EPEMED Health Economic Policy and Reimbursement programmatic committee with the Office of Health Economics to address current, and future, issues around the health technology assessment of complementary diagnostics. The economic evaluation of health technology innovations must be based on the value they bring to patients, citizens and health systems as a whole. This work directly addresses this statement made in July and how a broader conception of value can be the path toward improving the HTA process and patient access.
In addition, education remains key in facilitating the broader adoption of personalised medicine and advanced diagnostics by closing knowledge gaps. Here again we trust that EPEMED and its members do shape preeminent solutions in that space through the work accomplished under our Education programmatic committee. First, through the particular focus and action put on addressing how the laboratory-physician relationship could further help in closing or, at the very least, narrowing the physician education gap in personalised medicine. And then with our unique European library which continues to expand to offer well organized and comprehensive knowledge for EPEMED members on European personalised medicine and diagnostics, ranging from clinical, research, industry, regulatory, economic and education arenas.
Finally, as announced in September, EPEMED supported throughout the year the launch and implementation of PM Connective, a non-profit disease level initiative aiming to provide greater levels of evidence of personalised medicine impact. In 2016, both of our organisations will form an alliance as “not for profit integrators” catalysing PM execution and knocking down the complexities creating the barriers to access. The focus of this alliance is the integration of best practices in clinical, regulatory, and payor business models and policies to unlock the full potential of personalised medicine and distribute the value generated across all stakeholders. EPEMED members will thus benefit from combined US and EU collaborations, co-developped content and shared impact and resources as opportunities warrant.
We would like to thank you for your continued support in growing our mission. We look forward to continue expanding our action and shaping Personalised Medicine with you all next year!
Alain Huriez Emmanuelle Benzimra
Chairman Executive Director