US embassy cable - 03ROME3542

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. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
HHS Secretary Thompson and MOH Sirchia MOU 
------------------------------------------ 
 
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. 
 
------------------------ 
NIH-ISS Letter of Intent 
------------------------ 
 
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. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
Potential for a joint US-Italy Bone Marrow Registry 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
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 
 
 
NNNN 
	2003ROME03542 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED