MONTREAL — Imagia Canexia Health, a genomics-based cancer treatment testing company that accelerates access to precision care by combining AI expertise with advanced molecular biopsy solutions, and Anwa Medical Co (“Anwa”), a leading genomic diagnostics laboratory group in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (“Saudi Arabia”), today announced that they have entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to take Imagia Canexia Health’s distributed liquid biopsy testing products into Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East and North Africa (“MENA”) region. ICH offers liquid biopsy products for treatment selection and patient monitoring that can be run at or near the point of care for cancer patients rather than having to send samples to centralized laboratories located overseas. This allows cancer patients globally to access advanced precision oncology treatment with a shorter turnaround time and lower cost.
Imagia Canexia Health and Anwa will initially focus on offering the tests in Saudi Arabia before expanding throughout the MENA region. This will provide advanced cancer care to a population of over 500 million people who will see improved patient outcomes from wider access to advanced technologies for the diagnosis of cancer that also support the use of precision treatments. Providing treatment in the country will support the development of domestic precision oncology and genomics expertise and the infrastructure needed to support future treatments and development. Furthermore, for the first time, oncologists in the MENA region will be able to collect and analyse real world data from a wide group of patients from the MENA region, giving them more specific data and insights to support treatment decisions.
“Entry into this Memorandum of Understanding is a major step forward in improving cancer care in MENA and increasing health equity,” said Imagia Canexia Health CEO Geralyn Ochab. “Imagia Canexia Health’s core mission has always been to help address inequalities in access to oncology care across the world. Taking our product to MENA is a major step forward to ensure that cancer patients in this large, growing part of the world can access cutting edge cancer care at home, rather than having to travel to receive care.”
Dr. Saeed Al Turki, CEO of Anwa, said, “Saudi Arabia is one of the largest MENA markets, and its advanced healthcare sector constantly evolves with cutting-edge technologies. The partnership with Imagia Canexia Health expands Anwa services with new genomic assays to implement precision medicine practices in the MENA region. The A.I. platform enables us to link our population’s cancer biomarkers with prognostic insights and therapeutic options.”
Ben Jelloun, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Global Connectivity Capital Investment (GCCVest), said, “We are delighted to have the opportunity to bring together Imagia Canexia Health and Anwa to form a strategic partnership to expand liquid biopsy testing products in the Kingdom. In addition, the partnership will leverage Imagia Canexia Health’s AI capabilities to empower healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia to compete with the premier Cancer Centers overseas by delivering locally an ‘in-house’ AI & precision oncology solutions saving time and cost. As an investment platform dedicated to bridging MENA to global investment opportunities, we believe technologies such as what Imagia Canexia Health offers, have great ‘localization’ potential that democratizes access to the latest global innovation.”
