Driving personalised medicine forward

The EP PerMed Round Table highlights regional progress in Spain and Portugal

The second EP PerMed Round Table convened in Valencia and online, bringing together top experts from Spain, Portugal, and across Europe to explore concrete strategies for accelerating the adoption of personalised medicine (PM) in Southern Europe. The event was organised within the European Partnership for Personalised Medicine initiative (EP PerMed) and included support from key health innovation stakeholders, including EIT Health.

The Round Table welcomed more than a dozen influential voices from academia, clinical research, industry, and policy. Their goal: to exchange best practices, examine current barriers, and identify actionable steps to enhance the implementation of personalised medicine (PM) approaches across the region.

Spotlight on Southern Europe

Personalised medicine is increasingly being recognised as a pathway to more efficient, patient-centred care. In Spain and Portugal, interest in PM is growing rapidly, but challenges remain. The Round Table provided a much-needed platform to:

• Share national insights and innovation strategies
• Highlight success stories and practical case studies
• Discuss how European collaboration can amplify local and regional efforts

Programme highlights

• Opening Remarks underscored the urgency of PM adoption for future-ready healthcare systems.
• Keynote Sessions featured:
  • Dr. Raquel Cunha, CoLab Trials, on Portugal’s progress in PM
  • Dr. Carmen Ayuso, Jiménez Díaz Foundation, on Spain’s evolving PM landscape
  • Dr. Wolfgang Ballensiefen, EP PerMed Co-ordinator, on funding, innovation, and implementation strategies
  • Dr. Eva Colás, MiMark, with a compelling clinical use case of PM in action

Two dynamic panel discussions explored:

1. Success Stories, Unmet Needs & Challenges in PM roll-out across Southern Europe
2. How EP PerMed Can Support Regional PM Efforts, aligning funding, policy, and research

Broad participation from key institutions

In addition to the keynote speakers, a wide range of experts contributed to the discussions both on-site and online, representing a diverse group of leading institutions committed to advancing personalised medicine: IACS, BIOCAT, MSD, Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Hospital de Santa Maria in Lisbon, University of Lisbon, National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Health Cluster Portugal, Foundation 29, NOVA National School of Public Health

As Cristina Nadal Sanmartin, MSD, explains, “To ensure that the right patient receives the right treatment at the right time, it is essential to work on the successful implementation of precision medicine in European healthcare systems by promoting public-private collaboration frameworks and establishing clear governance by the different administrations.”

Shaping the future of health together

The Round Table reaffirmed the critical role of collaboration – between countries, sectors, and institutions – in advancing personalised medicine in Europe. EIT Health remains committed to supporting initiatives that bring innovative healthcare solutions closer to the people who need them most.

Watch the full event recording here.