Source: CodeBlue (codeblue.galencentre.org)

The inaugural 1^st Malaysia Pharmacogenomics Summit 2024, jointly organised by the Precision Medicine and Scientific Wellness (PMedS) Association and the Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA), was held at Wyndham Grand Bangsar KL, Malaysia.

Yg Bhg Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi bin Abu Hassan – Director-General Health representing the Ministry of Health (MOH) – officiated the summit by emphasising the importance of integrating Pharmacogenomics into Malaysia’s health care system to reduce Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) and improve patient outcomes.

“We have to embrace this. The only way forward is to work together. Malaysia has so many talents, opportunities, universities, and professors,” Yg Bhg Dr Muhammad Radzi mentioned, during the officiating ceremony, highlighting the nation’s talent pool with Pharmacogenomics.

The event featured renowned experts and leaders – including Prof Sir Munir Pirmohamed, President of England’s Association of Physicians and England’s NHS Chair in Pharmacogenetics – emphasising the potential of personalised prescribing medication using Pharmacogenomics in the health care system. He resonates with how Pharmacogenomics benefited the NHS and globally through various collaborative studies conducted on his research.

“Pharmacogenomics should be implemented in health care. These were our main recommendations that we felt, should be implemented in all sectors of the health care system in the UK.” Prof Sir Munir highlighted Malaysia’s responsiveness and agility to local challenges similar to the advances in pharmacogenomics, to remain agile and responsive.

Assoc Prof Dr Doreen Tan Su-Yin – a cardiology specialist pharmacist at the National University Heart Centre, Singapore, and Faculty Advisor of the NUS Pharmacy Department Pre-Employment Clinical Training – said, “As a whole community of medical professionals, we need to rise to the occasion to educate ourselves on what the options are and teach our patients what the options are”, demonstrating pharmacogenomics across different medical disciplines, not just oncology.

Dr Rebecca Tay, the Co-Chairperson Organising Committee and a principal investigator with Assoc Prof Dr Doreen for the collaborative research agreement with NUS on the Pharmacogenomics implementation and Precision Medicine Initiative, stated: “This summit was birthed from this collaborative work, alongside the vision of PMedS and CMA, to develop a comprehensive and systematic clinical implementation model that involved multidisciplinary teams from Malaysia and internationally.” 

Witnessing her mother benefitting from the pharmacogenomics information (somatic and germline), and having a quality of life for more than five (5) years from stage four (4) lung cancer, she and her professional team are devoted to establishing affordable and accessible Pharmacogenomics testing that is accredited to support clinician decisions.

Prof Dr Goh Boon Cher – Group Chief, Physician Leadership and Organisation Development Officer at the National University Health System and Deputy Director (Research) at the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore, leading clinical pharmacology and cancer drug development – stressed the importance of pre-emptive pharmacogenomic testing especially for cancer patients. “Germline mutations can be used for drug efficacy, a newer field of pharmacogenomics in cancer,” said Dr Goh highlighting from an oncology perspective into the genetic sequence. 

Dato’ Dr Hj Mohamed Ibrahim bin Dato’ Hj Abdul Wahid – a renowned consultant clinical oncologist in Malaysia – highlighted how pharmacogenomics helps oncologists understand the genetic profiles of cancer patients and how each individual responds to treatments and adverse drug reactions. 

Mr Lim Jack Shen, the forum moderator, mentioned the importance of working with multidiscipline insurance providers and associations, such as the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and the Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS). 

Meanwhile, Dr Navin Kumar Loganadan, a diabetes specialist, illustrated how Pharmacogenomics can revolutionise diabetes care, whereby rates of end-stage kidney disease cases are high in Asia. He recalled a patient who wasn’t responding well to early treatments, but with the help of pharmacogenomic testing, identified the most effective oral glucose-lowering drug which improved the patient’s condition. “This is how pharmacogenomics can give better health to our people,” said Dr Navin, addressing Malaysian patients with high rates of end-stage kidney disease.

Assoc Prof Hoo Fan Kee, Chairman of the Stroke Council Malaysia, highlights the importance of pharmacogenomic testing for the CYP2C19 gene to ensure that clopidogrel works properly to prevent strokes. According to NICE guidelines, some patients with certain CYP2C19 genetic variants face a 46 per cent higher risk of another stroke because they cannot process clopidogrel effectively. Testing helps doctors identify these patients and prescribe better alternatives.

Similarly, Datuk Dr Yee Kok Wah, an expert in integrative medicine, explains how using genomic insights in practice improves treatments, especially for mental health and children with special needs.  

After interactive panel discussions and workshops regarding precision medicine, Prof Dr Tan Geok Chin, President of PMedS, expressed his hope that this summit would pave the way for the implementation of pharmacogenomics across specialities like cardiology, oncology, neurology, pediatric, and mental health. “We hope this summit fosters collaboration and knowledge-sharing, paving the way for the implementation of pharmacogenomics in Malaysia and the Asia Pacific region,” said Prof Dr Tan, showcasing real-world stories of how Pharmacogenomics has saved lives and improved health care outcomes. 

During the summit, attendees witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Dr Rebecca Tay (also the CEO of Global Precision Diagnostics) and Prof Dr Shaun Lee Wen Huey, Head of School (Pharmacy), Monash University Malaysia, to bridge awareness and commitment in Pharmacogenomics through micro-credential programs, propelling Malaysia to be the forefront of pharmacogenomics research and clinical practice in the region. 

The 1^st Malaysia Pharmacogenomics was sponsored by Global Precision Diagnostics – a leading pharmacogenomics testing laboratory in Malaysia, accelerating the integration of pharmacogenomics into clinical practice. This summit laid the foundation for a new era in health care, leading to strong collaboration between government bodies, health care professionals, and industry leaders. 

Malaysia is taking a bold step in revolutionising patient care by focusing on Asian communities, enhancing the quality of care across the region. With strong backing from industry leaders and health care experts, the future of Malaysia and Asia in health care is promising, especially with the cost of genetic testing continues to decrease and its accessibility expanding.

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