A growing number of European countries are signing up to share their genomic data across borders to accelerate the development of precision medicines.
Bulgaria is the latest signatory to a declaration asking members to help provide ‘access to at least 1 million sequenced genomes in the EU by 2022’. The target, currently backed by 14 European nations, is to ‘contribute to a larger cohort of genomic data, which will allow for more clinically impactful research’ and trigger ‘investments in sequencing, bio banking and data infrastructure’.
“Health relies on digital innovation and cross-border interoperability. Secure access to genomic and other health data among Member States is essential for better health and care delivery to European citizens and to ensure that the EU will remain at the forefront of health research. The European Commission will facilitate this process and will continue to work with all Member States and interested parties on this matter,” the European Commission’s Vice-President for the Digital Single Market, Andrus Ansip, and Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society Mariya Gabriel, said in a statement.
These collaborations are vital in fast-tracking effective solutions to rare diseases and cancers – as advances in genomics are key to unlocking the era of precision medicine.
