Cyprus Presidency promotes win-win on health and competitiveness

Economic growth and lower healthcare costs are both possible if Europe exploits the opportunities of personalised healthcare, according to a report prepared under the aegis of the Cyprus Presidency of the EU.

The report, “Building an Open Innovation ecosystem in Europe for healthcare”, will be launched at a press conference in the European Parliament in Brussels on 29 November, 2012.

It sets out clear recommendations for an Open Innovation culture that will promote economic growth, increase employment and reduce healthcare costs. It is based on the iNNOVAHEALTH Conference in Larnaca, Cyprus, in October, 2012.

Among its principal recommendations outlined by the ex- Minister of Health for Cyprus, Dr. Stavros Malas, at a press release during the conference, it calls for:

• a new public-private partnership under Horizon 2020 to bring together industry, scientists, policymakers, and patients to promote radical change and innovation in healthcare.
• a new task force within the European Commission to promote Open Innovation within healthcare.
• adoption of EU industrial policies to develop lead markets for life-science innovation.

‘The success of the Innovative Medicines Initiative has demonstrated the added value of open innovation through public-private partnerships (PPPs) in healthcare’, comments Michel Goldman, Executive Director of the Innovative Medicines Initiative. ‘We therefore support the recommendations for a future PPP as proposed in the iNNOVAHEALTH report.’

The press conference will take place at 11h30 in Room ASP 5G2 in the European Parliament. The report will be presented by Andriana Achilleos of the Cypriot Ministry of Health and Jackie Hunter of OI Pharma Partners, co-organisers of the iNNOVAHEALTH conference, as well as by members of the iNNOVAHEALTH task force involved in composing the report.

The press conference will be followed by a lunch discussion of the report’s recommendations, hosted by Petru Luhan MEP, and featuring David Byrne, Co- Chair of the European Alliance for Personalised Medicine Jackie Hunter and other members of the iNNOVAHEALTH task force, Stephen McMahon of the Irish Patient Association, Michel Goldman, Innovative Medicine Initiative, President of the European Development Platform, and European Commission.