Integrating China in the International Consortium for Personalized Medicine Project: A Glance

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and its prevalence continues to rise. Traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy can have significant side effects, and they may not be effective for all patients. The field of personalized medicine has the potential to revolutionize cancer prevention and treatment by tailoring therapies to an individual patient’s specific genetic and molecular profile.

Despite the potential benefits of personalized medicine for cancer, there are still significant challenges to its widespread implementation. One of these challenges is the lack of alignment between policies in different regions of the world. To address this issue, the Integrating China in the International Consortium for Personalized Medicine (IC2PerMed) consortium, of which the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) is a partner, has developed a common roadmap for personalized medicine for cancer to foster common approaches between the People’s Republic of China and the European Union (EU) on personalized medicine research, development, innovation, and policies.

The IC2PerMed consortium is an EU initiative that aims to promote the implementation of personalized medicine in prevention and care. The consortium brings together organizations, researchers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals to work towards a common goal of improving patients’ outcomes.

The IC2PerMed consortium’s roadmap for personalized medicine for cancer has been finalized and is being presented at a series of events, including WFPHA webinars, a dedicated workshop at the 17th World Congress on Public Health, and a high-level symposium held in Geneva, Switzerland, in conjunction with the World Health Assembly.

The high-level symposium brings together high-level policymakers, scientists, and Chief Executive Officers from international health-related organizations to discuss the importance of personalized medicine for cancer and beyond and the need for international collaboration to promote its implementation. The meeting also provides an opportunity to showcase the work of the IC2PerMed consortium.