US-ITALY HEALTH COOPERATION: A 25 MILLION DOLLAR

UNCLAS ROME 003542

SIPDIS


PARIS FOR NSF REP SCHINDEL
DEPT FOR OES/STC AND STAS, EUR/WE

FOR OES/IHA JKAUFMAN/TGALLAGHER
WHITE HOUSE FOR OSTP
USDOC FOR TA MILLICK

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TSPL KSCA TBIO IT EUN
SUBJECT: US-ITALY HEALTH COOPERATION: A 25 MILLION DOLLAR
UPDATE


1. Summary. The US and Italy have long shared strong
medical and health research collaborations, but this
relationship has expanded and deepened in the last year. On
April 17, Health Minister Sirchia and Secretary of Health
and Human Services Thompson signed in Rome a Memorandum of
Understanding, focused on rare diseases, oncology, and
responses to bioterrorism. The MOU was amplified by the
signing of a technical annex in Washington, last June. The
Italian contribution will be up to 17.5 million USD. A
Letter of Intent between NIH and the Superior Institute of
Health (ISS) signed on July 28, opened the cooperation to a
broad range of diseases, including cardiovascular and
neurodegenerative diseases, like Parkinson's and
Alzheimer's. The Italian contribution will be about 7.5
million USD. Making new Italian commitments worth some USD
25 million. End summary.


2. To overcome its lack of R and D funds, the GOI included
in the 2003 Budget law a provision for a 20-cent increase in
cigarette prices. In this way, the GOI would collect about
435 million Euro and fund health research and universities.
The price increase began last March, and the GOI has
allocated funds to both national and international research
programs and cooperation. The first GOI health priority has
been to fund the US-Italy collaboration.

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HHS Secretary Thompson and MOH Sirchia MOU
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3. On April 17, Health Minister Sirchia and Secretary of
Health and Human Services Thompson signed in Rome a
Memorandum of Understanding. This agreement focused on rare
diseases, oncology, and responses to bioterrorism. To
further define work programs pursuant to the implementation
of MOU, US and Italian health experts met during the seventh
biennial review of the US-Italian Agreement on Scientific
and Technological Cooperation, June 17-18. The experts
concurred on the elaboration of two (Rare Diseases, and
Bioterrorism Preparedness) out of three topics included in
the MOU. The third topic - Oncology - was discussed by Min.
Sirchia and Dr. Andrew Von Eschenbach, director of the
National Cancer Institute, in Milan on June 16. Those
discussions produced a Technical Annex, which was signed by
HHS Secretary Thompson and Health Minister Sirchia on June
23 in Washington.


4. In particular, the two sides agreed to exchange
information on programs and activities, exchange scientists,
provide and strengthen research training including
standardization of guidelines, and identify opportunities
for collaborative research consistent with the peer reviewed
scientific application process of both countries. Research
areas of particular interest included the development of new
or improved diagnostic tests, drugs, vaccines and other
prevention products, clinical trials and epidemiology
research. The following amounts have been identified by the
Italian side for the three topic areas: oncology, 10 million
USD; rare diseases, 5 million USD; and, bioterrorism
preparedness, 2.5 million USD.


5. On June 25 and 26, Dr. Joe Harford, National Cancer
Institute Director for International Affairs continued
discussion with Minister Sirchia and Italian cancer experts
to further develop a bilateral research plan on Oncology
issues. It was decided to organize a bilateral technical
meeting on Pharmacogenomics on July 30-31 in Bethesda.
President of the Superior Institute of Health (ISS) Prof.
Enrico Garaci led the Italian team.

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NIH-ISS Letter of Intent
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6. Last May, during his visit to the US, Prof. Enrico
Garaci, President of the Istituto Superiore di Sanita' (ISS)
agreed in principle on a research cooperation agreement with
NIH Director Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni. The agreement - a non-
binding Letter of Intent - has been strongly supported by
Congressman and House Appropriations Chairman Bill Young.
Taking advantage of CODEL Young's visit to Rome, Deputy
Prime Minister Fini and U/S Letta hosted the signature


ceremony at Palazzo Chigi on July 28. Several Italian
ministers - Sirchia, Tremonti (Treasury),Tremaglia
(Italians Abroad),and Urso (Foreign Trade) - and
Congressman Young and his entire delegation attended.


7. The Letter opened the cooperation to a broad range of
diseases, including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative
diseases, like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The cooperation
will also focus on vaccine development, especially for
HIV/AIDS. The Italian contribution will be about 7.5 million
USD. Note. The US and Italy are the two largest
contributors to the Global Fund - the Fund to fight AIDS,
Malaria and Tuberculosis. This bilateral cooperation in
vaccine development is a logical extension of, and a
complement to, the broader international effort through the
Global Fund, and to president Bush's new initiative to
combat HIV/AIDS in Africa. End note.

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Potential for a joint US-Italy Bone Marrow Registry
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8. During a visit to Rome by Congressman Young and his
staff in spring 2002, the possibility of linking the US and
Italian national bone marrow registries was suggested as a
further means of health cooperation between Italy and the
US. This linkage would allow each country to have instant
access to the other's registry. The current system involves
Italian officials faxing a request for a donor, a search is
performed on the U.S. registry, and then a response is sent
back to Italy with a match.


9. during the July 2003 visit of Chairman Young, and to
facilitate this new venture, Embassy contacted the National
Marrow Donor Program (NMDP),which referred us to Captain
Robert Hartzman of the US Navy Medical Command and Director
of the C.W. Bill Young Marrow Donor Program. On July 28,
Capt. Hartzman, a member of the Congressman Young's
delegation, and Dr. Alessandro Nanni-Costa, head of the
National Organ Transplantation Center at ISS, met to discuss
the potential for the joint registry and how to move forward
on the project. They agreed to create a working group
comprised of the staff from the Italian Bone Marrow Registry
(IBMR) in Genova, members of ISS, the NMDP staff, and
himself in order to facilitate the best solution for Italy
in this endeavor. Dr. Nanni-Costa also announced that ISS
would be actively involved in this new venture and would
send a representative to Genova to work with the Registry.
The two sides agreed that the next step would be a meeting
between the two registries, themselves, sometime in the fall
of 2003. Capt. Hartzman and Dr. Nanni-Costa will be the
points of contact and facilitators for this meeting.


10. Comment: It's unusual for Italy, with chronic under-
funding of research, to fund USD 25 million for new
cooperation. The choice of the US is one more clear signal
of the importance of the US to Italy, and the high quality
of medical research in both countries. It's a good
partnership, and well worth strengthening. End comment.
Sembler


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2003ROME03542 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED