MEP’s Against Cancer (MAC) Interest Group and SIOPE Annual Policy Event
On 7th September, SIOPE, in partnership with Childhood Cancer International – Europe (CCI Europe) representing paediatric cancer patients, survivors, parents and their families, and the MEP’s Against Cancer (MAC) Interest Group organized an event in the European Parliament hosted by MEP Loucas Fourlas (EPP, Cyprus), Chair of the MAC Group and long-time supporter of childhood cancer.
The theme highlighted how the long-awaited revision of the EU Pharmaceutical Legislation can accelerate timely access to innovative, high-quality, safe medicines for young cancer patients.
Our event featured a range of perspectives from the EU political arena, academia, patients and the pharmaceutical industry.
Our speakers provided engaging and insightful presentations and discussions, with a lively Q&A session. Highlights of the event include:
- European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides joined us to provide a special welcome address. She touched upon the health policy priorities of the EU, with a particular focus on the EU’s fight against cancer through various programmes.
- Gilles Vassal, SIOPE and Delphine Heenen, CCI-Europe set the scene for our panel discussion. Providing the academic and patient perspective, respectively, to demonstrate the challenges the paediatric cancer community face in terms of lack of innovative medicines, medicine access and what this means for the treatment and the quality of life of patients.
- Key players in the European Parliament and upcoming negotiation process, MEP Pernille Weiss (EPP, Denmark), MEP Tilly Metz (Greens, Luxembourg) and MEP Tomislav Sokol (EPP, Croatia) joined our panel discussion.
- Victoria Kitcatt (EFPIA) and Adrian Van Den Hoven (Medicines for Europe) provided insight from an industry perspective and its role in improving development of medicines for children.
- This high-level panel discussed in-depth the various aspects of the pharmaceutical legislation that require focused consideration to truly improve access, affordability and availability of medicines for our patients.
The overall key message from our event was the need to build an EU regulatory environment that is patient-centric and best positioned to address unmet medical needs, including the needs of young cancer patients.
SIOPE is continuing to advocate to ensure the needs of our community are addressed in the coming months as negotiations in the European Parliament begin.
A toolkit is available for our members to join the advocacy effort.
On top of attending the event, 19 MEPs showed their support to Childhood Cancer Awareness Month by posing for our Gold September frame. Take a moment to explore the photo gallery above.