Introducing Oncocat, the Catalan Network of Oncology
<p>The network will focus on taking greater advantage of opportunities and embarking on common projects between companies and research entities for the international projection of Catalonia in this field.</p>
BY BIOCAT
Oncology is the medical specialty of greatest importance in Catalonia, for both healthcare and research, as demonstrated in the Biocat Report 2009. This priority attention to oncology is in line with global tendencies; according to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer will be the leading cause of death over the next few years and the Beyond Borders report (Ernst & Young 2009) says oncology represents 21% of all phase III studies preformed in Europe.
In Catalonia there is a lot of basic, translational and clinical research in this area, with the participation of members of the whole value chain, from research groups and centers, to hospitals and companies. The Oncocat network has been created to promote co-ordination between these organizations to encourage synergies, in order to take greater advantage of opportunities and embark on common projects for the international projection of Catalonia in this area.
The Oncocat network is driven by Biocat and currently made up of the following companies, organizations and research bodies and groups, which is a good example of the enormous potential of oncology in Catalonia:
In May, BioNanomed Catalonia was also presented. This alliance, driven by Biocat and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), is made up of 18 Catalan companies and research institutions