Clinnova: A precision medicine program in the heart of Europe
Clinnova is a cross-border precision medicine initiative bringing together clinicians and researchers from Luxembourg, the Grand Est region of France, Baden-Württemberg in Germany, and Basel in Switzerland. The project aims to aggregate, standardize, and make data interoperable to support AI-driven therapeutic decisions in inflammatory bowel diseases, rheumatic diseases, and multiple sclerosis. It is jointly supported by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR), the Grand Est region, Basel, and the state of Baden-Württemberg.
In Luxembourg, Clinnova is part of the National Centres of Excellence in Research (NCER) program of the FNR and is led by the Luxembourg Institute of Health, in partnership with the University of Luxembourg, the Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL), and the Hôpitaux Robert Schuman.
Clinnova Studies
Clinnova will establish three prospective cohort studies focusing on inflammatory bowel diseases (Clinnova-IBD), rheumatic diseases (Clinnova-RD), and multiple sclerosis (Clinnova-MS). The CHL will actively participate in the recruitment and follow-up of participants in the Clinnova-IBD and Clinnova-MS cohorts.
These similarly designed studies aim in the long term to better support patients suffering from these chronic diseases by using artificial intelligence and health data. All three studies are conducted on a European scale in partnership with hospitals and research institutes in France, Germany, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. In total, 800 patients will be included.
Participants agree to share a large amount of personal and disease-related information with researchers (medical records, questionnaires, voice recordings) as well as biological samples for analysis. All collected data are handled confidentially and securely in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Participation is based on the patient’s informed consent.
By combining all this information, researchers in the Greater Region aim to better understand the factors that influence disease progression and treatment effectiveness on an individual level. The goal is to improve patient care in the future.
Clinnova-IBD
Sponsor Luxembourg: Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH)
Principal Medical Investigator Luxembourg: Dr. Spyridon Sofos, Head of Gastroenterology, CHL
19 CHL patients are already included in the Clinnova-IBD study to better understand and manage chronic inflammatory bowel diseases
Since 2024, the CHL has been actively involved in the Clinnova-IBD study (Inflammatory Bowel Disease). On April 14, 2025, an important milestone was reached: the first patient recruited by the CHL completed their first year of follow-up. To date, 19 patients have been included in Luxembourg thanks to the efforts of the CHL Gastroenterology department, and more than 110 patients in total in the program.
Dr. Spyridon SOFOS, Head of the Gastroenterology Department at the CHL and principal investigator of the Clinnova-IBD study at the CHL, highlights the potential benefits for patients:
“The concept of the Clinnova study is to combine biological, digital, and clinical data with artificial intelligence to:
Anticipate therapeutic failure early
Currently, nearly 4 out of 10 patients need to change their biological treatment within the first year and due to a lack of tools, this decision is often made too late.
Develop precision medicine
Integrating molecular, immunological, genetic, and environmental data could potentially identify subgroups of patients with inflammatory diseases, guiding clinicians towards the most suitable treatment in the future.
Discover new biomarkers
Biological data combined with data from connected devices and digital tools (such as smartwatches, online questionnaires, or voice recordings) could contribute to identifying new biomarkers (measurable biological characteristics linked to disease progression).
Clinnova aims in the long term for predictive precision medicine by providing the right treatment to the right patient at the right time.”
Clinnova-MS
A study to better support patients with multiple sclerosis through artificial intelligence and health data
Prospective cohort study in patients with multiple sclerosis: A transregional digital health effort unlocking the potential of artificial intelligence and data science in healthcare.
Sponsor Luxembourg: Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH)
Principle Medical Investigator Luxembourg: Dr. Myriam Cescutti, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, CHL
The project will soon be submitted to the competent authorities. Stay tuned for the upcoming inclusion of the first patient.
