A key report about cancer research funding in Europe and the USA has been launched at the European Parliament in Brussels this week.

The host of the event, Local Labour Euro MP, Arlene McCarthy who Chair’s the European Parliament’s Internal Market & Consumer Protection Committee and is an active cancer awareness campaigner, has welcomed the report, she said:

“The report gives EU policy makers a clearer picture of the cancer research environment at a time when cancer is being given increasing importance on the agenda of European and national policy makers.”

"In Manchester we are already leading by example in cancer research. The Manchester Cancer Research Centre which encompasses The Christie Hospital, The Paterson Institute, The University of Manchester and Cancer Research UK shows at first hand the value and benefits a rich research environment can bring.”

“This fantastic partnership of a research institute together with a university, a public hospital and a charity is an efficient and effective use of cancer research funding and gets results. It should be followed as a model of best practice both in Europe and internationally." / -ENDS-

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Some of the key findings of the report:

• Europe is delivering better value for money than the USA. Europe is actually producing more research for less money.
• The average spend per capita across Europe was €3.42, a 34% increase since the 2005 survey.
• USA per capita spend was €17.61, five times greater than Europe – yet in 2005 this gap was seven times greater.
• Europe also has an additional €1,364 million flowing through national healthcare systems and universities to support cancer research compared to €109 million in the USA.
• Europe and the USA are evenly matched for cancer research outputs (volume of cancer research publications) with 52% and 48% of the output, and 1.3 versus 1.4 papers per billion euro GDP.

Launching the report will be: Prof Richard Sullivan, chair of the European Cancer Research Managers Forum (ECRM).

The Report is called: Investments and outputs of cancer research: from the public sector to industry. The second cancer research funding survey by the European Cancer Research Managers Forum. Authors: Seth Eckhouse, Grant Lewison, Richard Sullivan. 18 September 2007.

The European Cancer Research Managers Forum aims to cross national boundaries, promote better communication and collaboration between European cancer research groups and policy makers, inform the public about cancer research, and establish 'best practice' in cancer research management.

A pdf of the report will be available to download from www.ecrmforum.org