Genetic Technologies Limited (ASX:GTG, NASDAQ:GENE, OTC:GNTLF) has partnered with the Gold Coast Private Hospital (GCPH), a member of Healthscope, to establish a Precision Medicine Clinic at the hospital.
The collaboration will initially conduct a pilot study featuring 50 patients, designed to establish an effective workflow and patient reporting system. Utilising geneType Multi-risk and Pharmacogenomics (PGx) tests, the study aims to provide GCPH patients with a comprehensive wellness profile.
Recruitment for the pilot is set to start immediately, signalling urgency in implementing this innovative healthcare approach.
Expansive network
If the pilot proves successful, it could serve as a blueprint for the expansion of additional Precision Medicine Clinics within Healthscope's expansive network of 42 hospitals nationwide.
Gold Coast Private Hospital boasts 336 beds and 22 operating theatres, attracting leading medical professionals from around the world.
As Australia's only national private hospital operator, Healthscope has a workforce of 19,000 and services every state and territory, highlighting the potential scale of this pioneering healthcare model.
“We are seeing a seismic shift in healthcare today, with acknowledgement of the important contribution that risk assessment tests such as geneType and PGx can make to Precision Medicine,” GTG CEO Simon Morriss said.
“Being able to identify those people at higher risk of certain diseases and those who are more likely to respond to appropriate treatments is a major step forward in improving patient health outcomes. We are very excited to be supporting Healthscope with this initiative.”
Precision medicine on the rise
According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Precision Medicine, alternatively termed ‘personalised medicine’, offers a tailored approach to disease prevention and treatment by considering individual variations in genes, environments and lifestyles.
The aim is to direct the most effective treatments to the appropriate patients at the optimal time. The use of GTG's geneType Multi-test and Pharmacogenomics (PGx) tests stands to be a significant advancement in enhancing the health outcomes for patients at GCPH.
"We envisage a Precision Medicine Clinic centred on preventative care and wellness. Our focus is on devising proactive patient pathways that facilitate early disease detection and more effective treatment of prevalent conditions," GCPH research manager Michelle Ferrari Cestari said.