About OPTIMA
A five-year European research programme that brought together 38 partners across 14 countries — connecting real-world clinical data, evidence-based guidelines, and artificial intelligence to improve outcomes for patients with lung, breast and prostate cancer. Funded through the IMI2 Joint Undertaking, OPTIMA delivered a federated, GDPR-compliant platform built for the realities of clinical practice.
Key Objectives
What we aimed to achieve
To transform oncology, we focused on four key areas of innovation.
Real-world Data Integration
Gather and harmonise large-scale structured and unstructured real-world datasets, combining information from diverse sources.
AI-guided Decision Support
Develop a secure, sustainable platform incorporating AI-driven decision support tools aligned with the latest clinical practice guidelines.
Guideline Prioritisation
Focus on prostate, breast, and lung cancer to create a scalable and regularly updated guideline decision-support tool.
Advanced Analytics & AI Models
Utilise AI and advanced analytics to generate new knowledge and insights for better cancer care.
Work Packages
How we worked
OPTIMA was structured into 9 work packages — each with a dedicated lead and a clear role in delivering the project's goals.
- Established a robust governance structure to support all 38 consortium partners.
- Technical and financial reporting, risk management, conflict resolution, and critical path analysis.
Lead: European Association of Urology & Pfizer
- Ensured all project activities complied with EU ethical, legal, and regulatory frameworks.
- Developed data governance protocols and patient consent models for federated data access.
- Developed a clinical decision support tool based on validated oncology guidelines.
- Focused on breast, prostate, and lung cancer treatment pathways.
- Defined the technical architecture and infrastructure for the federated OPTIMA platform.
- Established OMOP CDM adoption requirements across participating data nodes.
- Implemented and iteratively evaluated the OPTIMA platform across clinical sites.
- Gathered feedback from end-users to refine usability and clinical relevance.
- Collected and harmonised real-world oncology datasets across partner institutions.
- Standardised data to OMOP CDM for federated analysis.
- Built and validated AI models using federated learning on real-world oncology data.
- Integrated explainable AI into the clinical decision support workflow.
- Published peer-reviewed research, fact sheets, and patient-facing materials.
- Presented findings at major oncology and health informatics conferences.
- Developed a sustainability plan to maintain the platform and tools beyond the funding period.
- Explored licensing models and commercialisation pathways for key outputs.
Consortium Members
A European network of 36 partners.
OPTIMA is sustained by a diverse network of leading academic institutions, clinical centers, and industry leaders across 13 countries, all working together to transform cancer care through shared evidence.
Key Outputs
What we delivered.
Tools, knowledge, and infrastructure that outlast the project's funding period.
Patient Engagement
- Patient & Public Advisory Board (PPAB) throughout
- Patient materials in lay language, 3 cancer indications
- Prototyping surveys & patient testimonial videos
Platform & Tools
- ATLAS – Cohort design & treatment pathway analysis
- ShinyApps – Interactive real-time dashboards
- Clinical Decision Support Tool (CDST / GDa)
Deliverables & Publications
- Public deliverables: legal, ethical & technical frameworks
- Peer-reviewed publications & conference presentations
- Fact Sheet, AI Explainer, patient-facing overviews
Want to reach out directly?
Our team is available to answer your questions about the OPTIMA project, platform access, and collaboration opportunities.
