DUBLIN, March 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Nearly two out of three people in four major European countries have no awareness of personalised medicine - despite the fact that this evolving discipline has vast implications for Europe's healthcare issues and Europeans' personal health. These statistics presented today at the European Alliance for Personalised Medicine (EAPM) conference taking place in Dublin, in association with the Irish EU Presidency, were part of the PACE Cancer Perception Index that studied knowledge and attitudes about cancer treatment and care, the healthcare system and patient involvement. PACE, a Lilly Oncology initiative, stands for Patient Access to Cancer care Excellence.

The EAPM Conference on Innovation and Patient Access to Personalised Medicine brought together researchers, patients, healthcare professionals, payers, regulators, policymakers and industry to evaluate the potential and the development of personalised medicine in light of the European economic crisis.[i]

Irish Minister of Health Dr. James Reilly stressed the potential of personalised medicine "to provide solutions that are better tailored to the individual patient than traditional 'one size fits all' medicinal products."[ii]

"Personalised medicine is a promising concept," said Tonio Borg, European Union (EU) Commissioner for Health and Consumers. "As patients are divided into groups based on their individual, biological, genetic and genomic characteristics, medical interventions are tailored to those patients' needs."

"Hence, this new approach can help reduce the risk of undesirable adverse reactions and at the same time, make medicines more effective," said Mr. Borg. "And it also yields a maximum return on healthcare investment - a valuable argument for decision makers, in times of austerity."[iii]

Public Supports Personalised Medicine

A highlight of the conference was a work group that discussed the importance of informed, engaged and empowered patients where personalised medicine is concerned. Central to the discussion were the results of the PACE Cancer Perception Index: A Six-Nation, Public Opinion Survey of Cancer Knowledge and Attitudes.

"The PACE Cancer Perception Index devoted a considerable amount of time to the subject of personalised medicine, and what we found was both surprising and promising," said Sue Mahony, Ph.D., president, Lilly Oncology.

"While only one-third of respondents were aware of personalised medicine, the majority were supportive once the concept was introduced," Dr. Mahony said. "They not only recognised its benefits for them and society, but they expressed a willingness to help by being tested for personalised medicine, and by sharing their medical information."

Read the original post:
Global Survey Underscores Importance of Patient Education and Engagement in Personalised Medicine

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