Interview with Edwin Cuppen, Chair of the CGI-Clinics External Advisory Board
Edwin Cuppen, Scientific Director of the Hartwig Medical Foundation in the Netherlands and the Chair of our recently established External Advisory Board, joins us to share more about his involvement in CGI-Clinics and how he anticipates the project’s impact.
What unique perspective and expertise do you bring as Chair of the External Advisory Board for the CGI-Clinics project?
Although I primarily have a fundamental research background, similar to the main drivers of this project, in the last decade I have spent a lot of time translating technological opportunities into clinical practice to achieve patient impact. It became clear to me that research and clinical domains are fundamentally different and do complicate clinical implementation trajectories. I think the learnings from my role as Scientific Director of the Hartwig Medical Foundation in the Netherlands can be valuable for CGI-Clinics, as we are a non-profit organisation driving genomics-based cancer care and the implementation of a learning care system. We are using whole genome sequencing to enable the most complete molecular diagnostics for today’s cancer patients and to improve care for tomorrow’s patients.
Why did you agree to join the Advisory Board? What excites you about the CGI-Clinics project?
The CGI-Clinics project is very timely. Molecular cancer diagnostics get increasingly complex. This is driven by 1) technological developments allowing us to measure more, 2) more targeted drugs becoming available, 3) more and more complex biomarkers, 4) the need to reduce overtreatment to avoid side effects for patients, but even more to keep healthcare systems financially sustainable as novel drugs are increasingly expensive, and 5) an ageing population, resulting in more cancer patients and fewer medical specialists to perform all care. I strongly believe that technology is our friend in addressing these challenges. Solutions like those developed by CGI-Clinics should facilitate a smooth transition to more automated data-driven decision support systems.
Can you explain, in simple terms, what precision oncology means for patients?
The simplest explanation of precision oncology is ‘the right drug, for the right patient, at the right moment, until the right moment’.
What challenges need to be overcome to make precision oncology more effective in saving lives?
Clearly, precision oncology, as described above, involves both diagnostics and monitoring, which becomes increasingly accessible and affordable. But often good biomarkers are lacking for making the right decision. So besides the development of better decision support systems, we need to keep investing in understanding the biology behind therapy response and resistance.
In simple terms, what potential benefits could projects like CGI-Clinics bring to cancer patients across Europe?
Eventually, optimal diagnostics and decision support systems like CGI-Clinics will help provide equal treatment opportunities for all patients and ensure that novel developments and drugs reach all patients in a timely manner. This should result in improved survival and quality of life for cancer patients.
About the CGI-Clinics Project
The CGI-Clinics project is a five-year EU project, and stakeholders are encouraged to follow its progress by signing up for the newsletter or following the project on social media.
