Abu Dhabi: M42, the global health powerhouse, has inked an agreement with AstraZeneca, a global leader in science-led biopharmaceuticals, to advance preventive healthcare and next-generation precision medicine.
As AstraZeneca’s clinical genomics partner of choice in the Middle East region, M42 will conduct sequencing of hereditary breast cancer genes. The aim is to develop personalized care and prevention strategies tailored to each patient’s needs.
The initiative showcases M42’s advanced multi-omics sequencing capabilities in the area of oncological diagnostics. It is a relatively new field that has promising improvement in patient outcomes amidst the increasing number of cancer cases worldwide.
M42 will make it easier to determine each patient’s hereditary risk for cancer by facilitating the sequencing of cancer genes. This will ensure that preventive interventions may be investigated in the early stages or even before the cancer begins. In doing so, the pioneer in health technology is also offering one of the first companion diagnostics programs in the Gulf in collaboration with AstraZeneca, whose results may be used to optimize patient-specific medication-based therapies.
Dr. Fahed Al Marzooqi, Deputy Group Chief Operating Officer at M42, said, “M42 operates at the cutting edge of innovation and is committed to reshaping the future of health with its provision of next-generation preventive and precision medicine. This pioneering program, powered by disruptive omics technologies, aims to enable personalized cancer treatment and intervention, contributing directly to patient outcomes and paving the way for preventive medicine, in keeping with our mission to support people, not just patients and prevention, not just treatment. Our partnership with AstraZeneca aims to further lay the groundwork for a future in which precision medicine is the norm for effectively combatting health challenges.”
The sequencing will be carried out at M42’s Omics Center of Excellence, one of the largest multi-omics research facilities in the world with a specific focus on generating advanced genomics knowledge.
As the region’s largest and most advanced omics facility, M42’s Omics Centre of Excellence has already been instrumental in facilitating one of the largest population genomic initiatives in the world, the Emirati Genome Programme (EGP).