European Commission ensures new funds for in silico medicine in Horizon 2020

On 24 July 2014, 3 key Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) tabled a question for written answer by the European Commission entitled “In silico medicine in Horizon 2020”. 

The Parliamentary Question, tabled by MEPs Seán Kelly (PPE), James Nicholson (ECR), Claudiu Ciprian Tănăsescu (S&D) asks the Commission:

“Parliament’s resolution of 14 January 2014 on the eHealth Action Plan 2012-2020 explicitly calls on the Commission to continue to support the ‘Virtual Physiological Human initiative’ pilot project.

What steps will DG Research and Innovation take to ensure that Parliament’s request for a greater focus on in silico methods in the creation of predictive and personalised medicine will be adequately represented in the next Horizon 2020 Work Programme for Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing?”

On 29 August 2014, the European Commission responded to this question by Members of Parliament stating that “For the Work Programme 2016-2017 the Commission intends to further support development of ‘in silico’ models and methods. At this stage the input to be proposed to the Work Programme with respect to personalized medicine will be the subject of further consultations and agreements.”

This represents a significant boost for the VPH Institute and demonstrates that the European Commission has responded to the political demands of the European Parliament for support for VPH and in silico medicine in the next work programme.

The VPH Policy Affairs Work Group will be following up with the European Commission to assist them in formulating their support for in silico medicine. 

• The full answer can be found here.