KFSH&RC Launches "Personalized Medicine" Program in Order to Counter the Incurable Diseases

General

20

July

His Excellency Dr. Qasim bin Othman Al Qasabi, Chief Executive Officer of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre announced the initiation of Precision Medicine program (Personalized) as one of the national transformation initiatives, namely using the genetic mapping of genes for different diseases (genome) to be the technical nucleus for diagnosis and prevention, which is currently available only in a few of the world's leading medical centers.

Dr. Al Qasabi explained that a scientific team of more than 100 specialists, including doctors, research scientists, pharmacists, nurses, technicians and laboratory specialists, has been formed. Al Qasabi pointed out that high tech laboratories were prepared with high technology and high quality that are in line with the international standards, adding that this program will contribute to train Saudi employees in this field.

Dr. Al Qasabi emphasized that this program will reduce the huge cost of treating various diseases annually through early discovery and treatment.

The Precision Medicine program is an advanced concept of health care based on research results in various applied sciences such as chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, and computer applications’ uses as a product of technological development and research output. Reaching the human genome map is a quantum leap in the research field. It is used to identify the causes of the genetic disorders. Furthermore, the results of researches that attempt to explain the individual differences in drug response between individuals have reshaped the way medical and cognitive community view the nature of diseases and how to treat them.       

Dr. Al Qasabi stated that, in recognition of the importance of scientific research and development of its outputs and in order to achieve the required integration in transferring and localizing the knowledge, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center has established specialized laboratories for the medical genome within the national transformation program, to keep pace with the Kingdom's vision 2030.  

In this context, Dr. Al Qasabi revealed several achievements delivered by KFSH&RC, the most important of which are:                  

Early discovery of a number of genetic disorders during pregnancy, where more than 3000 genetic tests were performed during pregnancy, and more than 200 genetic disorders that were not previously known were discovered. This would reduce genetic disorders and help parents give birth to healthy children, Allah willing.

Also, the genetic disorders causing the genetic diseases, that have not been previously known, were discovered. More than 10,000 genetic diseases were examined in the Program laboratories while more than 5,000 genetic mutations, which have not been previously discovered, have been discovered. This allows the possibility of early discovery and control of genetic diseases.

This Program also helps preventing the genes that are associated with chronic diseases through early discovery and before being infected with chronic disease, preparations for this disease, and taking therapeutic and preventive measures, in terms of changing lifestyle or food style in order to prevent any other coming disease, which would delay or may prevent certain diseases. Treatment is received before the infection and before entering the vortex of diagnosis and infection confirmation and beginning of different treatment plans, such as chronic diseases that occur at an advanced age of humans such as cancer, heart, pressure, brain, nerves, kidneys diseases and others to reduce the incidence of these diseases in the future through early treatment and avoidance of the causes of these diseases as well as conducting the necessary examinations.   

The program also provides the possibility to identify the drug response and its relation to the genetic gene, according to the response of each patient to the prescribed drugs doses, which vary from one patient to another due to the different genetic and ethnic composition, which would achieve positive effectiveness in the therapeutic outcomes for each patient separately.

The program also includes a classification of epidemiology and knows how it resists the antibiotics, where the appropriate antibiotic is given based on the extent, type and strength of the epidemic resistance to antibiotic, so that the antibiotic can eliminate the disease and achieve the speedy recovery without excessive use of antibiotics and the dangers resulting therefrom. Personalized Medicine is no longer limited to the genetic and chronic diseases only, but it actually went beyond the microbes and viruses.