EAPM

About the EAPM

The European Alliance for Personalised Medicine is a relatively new, but active, collaboration of organisations focused on promoting the personalised medicines agenda in the European context.

In its manifesto published last year, it set out goals such as:

• Adapting the authorisation procedures for medicines to take account of the innovative clinical trial designs that personalised medicine will depend on.
• Wider coordination on research in Europe through Horizon 2020, with better access to information for researchers, doctors, pharmacists and patients.
• High-quality molecular testing facilities in Europe.
• Closer regulatory links between diagnostics and treatment.
• Rules on data protection that safeguard privacy while permitting scientific sharing of data.
• Reimbursement of personalised medicines on the basis of their added value to healthcare systems.
• Multi-disciplinary training for healthcare professionals in the new approaches of personalised medicine.
• Wider awareness among patients and the public of the rationale and potential of personalised medicine.

EAHP has taken part as an observer organisation in a number of EAPM meetings on issues such as clinical trial transparency and a Presidency conference in Dublin (attended by Joan Peppard). Report here.

EAHP has now received an invitation to join EAPM.

For Board consideration

Whether to join the Alliance to promote the needs and priorities of hospital pharmacists within the personalised medicines agenda.

Cost is 500 euros per year.

Policy and Advocacy Officer comments
 

There is a pros and cons assessment to be made.

The pros of joining this Alliance include:

• building the EAHP network (e.g. with participating patient groups such as EPF, and health professional organisations such as ESMO and EORTC, attending events with Commissioners etc)
• access to monitoring information about European level developments (e.g. discussions with Commission, developments in the Parliament)
• profile opportunities (e.g. inclusion of comments and opinions within publications, speaker opportunities)
• opportunities to influence the EAPM agenda and policy (e.g. in areas of professional education)
• invitations and inclusion in events of relevant interest
• general efficiency of lobbying through secretariat-served coalitions (e.g. preparation of documents, Directive amendments etc)

The cons of joining the Alliance may include:

• potential issues where EAPM policy may differ from EAHP (e.g. on clinical trial transparency)
• question of whether the Alliance is too close to industy (see clinical trial policy)
• available time to scrutinise EAPM policy statements and give feedback before publication

Options include:

• declining membership
• accepting membership
• acceptiong membership on a one year trial basis
• reserving any decision pending answers to any questions or concerns EAHP may hold