A substantial breakthrough in personalised gene therapy for cancer treatment is the latest indication of a major leap forward in the way we fight illness and disease.
The US Food and Drug Administration this week approved the first gene therapy in America to be available to fight leukaemia.
The announcement that Novartis drug Kymriah has been approved points to a potentially huge development in healthcare, where genetic advances can be used to help fight life-threatening diseases and prolong life.
Doctors in the UAE have hailed the breakthrough drug and said that the use of genetic advances could shape the future of healthcare by helping detect susceptibility of certain health conditions so a patient’s treatment can be mapped out in advance.
Kymriah could also be the gateway to a new breed of medication, allowing a patient’s cells to be genetically altered to help fight illness.
The drug is a novel immunocellular therapy and a one-time treatment that uses a patient's own T cells to fight leukaemia.
Joseph Jimenez, drug manufacturer Novartis’ chief executive, said: “Five years ago, we began collaborating with the University of Pennsylvania and invested in further developing and bringing what we believed would be a paradigm-changing immunocellular therapy to cancer patients in dire need.
“With the approval of Kymriah, we are once again delivering on our commitment to change the course of cancer care."
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In 2014, World Health Organisation figures showed there were 700 male and 500 female cancer deaths in the UAE.
Leukaemia was responsible for 7.2 per cent of deaths in both men and women but breast cancer remains the most common killer in women, accounting for 24.1 per cent of deaths.
Men are more susceptible to lung and respiratory-related cancers, which are responsible for 16.4 per cent of cancer deaths.
In August, American scientists revealed a similar breakthrough in how serious health conditions could be tackled in future.
They were successfully able to alter the DNA in defective embryos so they were no longer programmed to develop heart failure.
Gene-editing tool Crispr-Cas9 has been used to permanently modify genes within organisms, attacking mutations responsible for common inherited disease.
Although controversial and at an early stage of experimentation, it has been described as a potential game changer in the future of healthcare.
Dr Carrie Starkie, a paediatrician who moved to Abu Dhabi from the US, said the arrival of gene therapy and screening is potentially huge.
“In the US, we have similar difficulties with sickle cell anaemia to the problems faced by populations here with genetic problems like spinal muscular atrophy,” she said.
“As the knowledge base increases for genetic screening, so does the potential to shape future healthcare depending on the nuances of the condition to help people make informed choices.
“Parents can be genetically screened to see if they are carriers of the mutation that could be passed on to children.
“Specific testing can identify where parents are in the risk spectrum, and then they can make decisions accordingly.”
The Kymriah drug is the first therapy based on gene transfer approved by the US FDA.
“The first genetically modified cell therapy to be approved by the FDA is an exciting step forward,” said Professor Peter Johnson, Cancer Research UK’s chief clinician.
“Research has shown how it is possible to reprogramme immune cells into recognising cancers that they had previously missed.
“Because normal chemotherapy works very well, not many people with this type of leukaemia would need this new treatment.
“But if it works for older patients or those with other types of cancer it could become an important new option.
“We still have a lot to learn about how to use it safely and who might benefit from it, so it is important to recognise this is just a first step.”
Although concerns remain over the drug’s toxicity, clinical trials have yielded considerable success – including saving the life of a year-old British girl at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.
Expense could, however, be a serious issue as the drug is likely to cost about Dh1.6 million for a one-off dose.
"We are so proud to be part of this historic moment in cancer treatment and are deeply grateful to our researchers, collaborators and the patients and families who participated in the Kymriah clinical programme,” said Bruno Strigini, the chief executive of Novartis Oncology.
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
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Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Tabby%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%20August%202019%3B%20platform%20went%20live%20in%20February%202020%3Cbr%3EFounder%2FCEO%3A%20Hosam%20Arab%2C%20co-founder%3A%20Daniil%20Barkalov%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Payments%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2040-50%20employees%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Arbor%20Ventures%2C%20Mubadala%20Capital%2C%20Wamda%20Capital%2C%20STV%2C%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Founders%20Capital%2C%20JIMCO%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20Venture%20Souq%2C%20Outliers%20VC%2C%20MSA%20Capital%2C%20HOF%20and%20AB%20Accelerator.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Copa del Rey final
Sevilla v Barcelona, Saturday, 11.30pm (UAE), match on Bein Sports
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci
Pushkin Press
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
