NextGen Initiative: Advancing Cardiovascular Healthcare Through AI-Personalized Therapies

NextGen Initiative: Advancing Cardiovascular Healthcare Through AI-Personalized Therapies

(IN BRIEF) The NextGen project, funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe program with €7.6 million, has commenced in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Led by a 21-member consortium including the European Society of Cardiology, the project aims to personalize therapies for patients with cardiovascular disease using artificial intelligence (AI). By integrating various data sources and leveraging AI techniques, NextGen seeks to advance cardiovascular healthcare by tailoring treatment strategies to individual genetic profiles and health data.

(PRESS RELEASE) SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS, 12-Feb-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Society of Cardiology (ESC), an independent, nonprofit organisation aiming to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease, is thrilled to announce the commencement of the NextGen project that will revolutionize cardiovascular disease (CVD) treatment through the power of artificial intelligence (AI). With a substantial €7.6 million grant from the EU’s Horizon Europe program, this initiative brings together a formidable consortium of 21 members, spearheaded by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)¹.

CVD remains the foremost cause of mortality worldwide, claiming nearly 18 million lives annually², with the EU witnessing approximately one-third of these fatalities³. This health burden translates into a staggering €282 billion cost to the EU economy yearly⁴, along with profound individual repercussions such as disability and premature retirement.

Harnessing the potential of personalized medicine, NextGen aims to tailor prevention and treatment strategies to individual genetic profiles and health data. With the plummeting costs of genetic analysis and cutting-edge AI methodologies, the time is ripe to leverage these advancements for the benefit of cardiovascular health.

The consortium, comprising clinical research organizations, universities, SMEs, and professional associations, faces multifaceted challenges, including data privacy, disparate standards, and data volume. However, by synergizing efforts, NextGen endeavors to integrate diverse data sources securely and ethically, breaking down barriers to data integration in CVD research.

Consortium member Professor Panos Deloukas of Queen Mary University of London, UK, said: “This is a tremendous opportunity and a challenge we have in building the right toolbox that will allow [us] to unite CVD patient data across Europe and implement precision medicine to improve  cardiovascular healthcare.”

Project coordinator Professor Pim van der Harst of University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands, said: “No two people are exactly the same, and so it makes sense that each person needs a slightly different strategy to optimise their health. Personalised medicine is therefore the way forward for preventing heart disease, speeding up diagnosis, and monitoring and treating people with CVD. To develop individualised therapies, we need to compile as much information as possible about individuals, and that’s where NextGen comes in. The unique picture we generate will then form the basis for improving cardiovascular health and wellbeing.”

ENDS

Notes to editor

Authors: ESC Press Office
Tel: +33 (0)489 872 075

Email: press@escardio.org

Follow us on X: @ESCardioNews 

Funding: NextGen has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme under grant agreement ID 101136962

References and notes

¹Consortium coordinator:

• University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands

Consortium members:

• DataPower, Italy
• DPO Associates Sàrl, Switzerland
• Drug Information Association, Switzerland
• Earlham Institute, UK
• EURECOM, France
• European Society of Cardiology, France
• Göthe Universität Frankfurt, Denmark
• HIRO-MicroCataCenters B.V., the Netherlands
• HL7 International Foundation, Belgium
• Human Colossus Foundation, Switzerland
• HUS, Finland
• Karolinska Institute, Sweden
• LiKE Healthcare Research GmbH, Denmark
• MyData Global, Finland
• NEBS, Belgium
• Queen Mary University of London, UK
• Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana, Switzerland
• Technical University of Münich, Germany
• University of Virginia, US
• WellSpan Health, US

²World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/health-topics/cardiovascular-diseases#tab=tab_1

³Eurostat: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Cardiovascular_diseases_statistics

⁴Luengo-Fernandez R, Walli-Attaei M, Gray A, et al. Economic burden of cardiovascular diseases in the European Union: a population-based cost study. Eur Heart J. 2023;44(45):4752-4767. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehad583.

About the European Society of Cardiology

The European Society of Cardiology brings together health care professionals from more than 150 countries, working to advance cardiovascular medicine and help people lead longer, healthier lives.

SOURCE: European Society of Cardiology