In Silico is mentioned in the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe

This much-awaited strategy provides a comprehensive and ambitious action plan on pharmaceuticals, built around four major objectives: 

1. Increasing access and affordability of medicines and addressing unmet medical needs; 
2. Boosting competitiveness, innovation and sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry; 
3. Improving crisis preparedness and response mechanisms to increase supply security; 
4. Strengthening EU capacities by ensuring that high levels of quality, efficacy and safety are met. 

This mention of silico medicine and CM&S in the strategy document is a big victory for the in silico medicine community as the Pharmaceutical Strategy outlines Commission’s planned actions and objectives on pharmaceuticals in the next 5 years on its mandate!  Such a comprehensive and ambitious initiative on pharmaceuticals has never been published by the European Commission so far. 

In the introduction of the Pharmaceutical Strategy, the European Commission explains the potential of the digital transformation of health-driven by technical advances in fields such as artificial intelligence and computational modelling. 

"A new EU approach is needed to ensure we have a strong, fair competitive and green industry that delivers for patients, and which draws on the potential of the digital transformation of health and care, driven by technological advances in fields such as artificial intelligence and computational modelling."

When discussing the uptake of scientific and technical advances, the Commission also explains that the implementation of Clinical Trials Regulation will, among other things, contribute to addressing new technological developments such as the use of in silico techniques and virtual approaches. 

"The full implementation of the Clinical Trials Regulation will put in place a harmonised, highly coordinated, robust and agile system for the assessment and oversight of clinical trials in the EU. It will improve transparency of information, independently of the outcome of the trials, to allow public scrutiny and will address new developments such as adaptive and complex trials, and the use of in-silico techniques and virtual approaches. Experience with EU funded R&I projects with adaptive trials shows that research can initiate changes that can reduce costs and decrease development times."

The mention of the words in silico affirms that the Commission is aware of the existence of these techniques used in the context of clinical trials and their potential in generating information (data).

Further information on the document can be found here