Partnership is emblematic of a global effort to characterise cancer development and progression in individuals of African descent, who have traditionally been excluded from genomic oncology studies and clinical trials
22nd October 2024, Tunis, Tunisia — Precision oncology company Yemaachi Biotech and Institut Pasteur Tunis today announced a research partnership investigating genomics in inflammatory breast cancer in African patients. The aim of this partnership is to characterise the genomic profile of inflammatory breast cancer in African populations, looking at both germline and somatic mutations using next generation sequencing.
“To make a global impact on cancer outcomes, we must forge South-South partnerships and incorporate global populations. We’re proud to work with Yemaachi to investigate novel biomarkers for breast cancer that have the potential to improve outcomes across diverse groups of patients in Africa and beyond” said Dr. Yosr Hamdi, Senior Scientist at Institut Pasteur Tunis and the Principal Investigator of the study.
Inflammatory breast cancer is both a rare and aggressive type of breast cancer that is associated with rapid progression and poor prognosis. Although it represents a small fraction of breast cancer malignancies (estimated between 1 and 7%), it is most often diagnosed at a later stage, has poorer 5 year survival rates than other subtypes, and occurs more frequently in women of North African descent and in the Middle East region compared to Europe and North America.
To date, genomic risk factors for IBC have not been fully characterised. Yemaachi and Institut Pasteur Tunis will therefore advance a deeper understanding of its biological etiology and the overall genomic landscape of the disease. The project which is already underway has so far sequenced half of the initial set of Tunisian IBC patient samples at the Yemaachi sequencing lab in Accra, Ghana. Sequence data has been sent to Institut Pasteur of Tunis and will be analyzed by Tunisian Bioinformaticians from the Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Biostatistics and Biomathematics (BIMS) and the Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics (LGBMO), together with scientists from Yemaachi. When complete, this study will represent the largest sequencing-based study of IBC conducted to date in Africa. Ethical approval for the project was obtained in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki principles from the Biomedical Ethics Committee of Institut Pasteur de Tunis (CEBM) (reference 2023/10/I), along with the approval from the Tunisian Regulatory Body for Personal Data Protection (INPDP).
“This work aims to improve diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment strategies for inflammatory breast cancer, an understudied and devastating disease that has an significant impact on African women” said Yaw Bediako, PhD, CEO & Co-founder of Yemaachi. “Our goal is to uncover insights that will help these patients, but also inform a deeper understanding of oncogenetics to develop precision cancer therapeutics that will benefit patients globally. Institut Pasteur shares our belief that our destiny in human health is truly intertwined and research that benefits one population can advance understanding that will benefit all. We are pleased to be working with them.”
Yemaachi has a number of recent, notable global partnerships and projects, including in breast cancer research. In collaboration with Dr. Lily Paemka from the University of Ghana, Yemaachi identified a novel variant of concern among African breast cancer patients. Yemaachi also recently published findings from the AMBER project, a prospective, observational study exploring the utility of a cfDNA liquid biopsy assay to identify actionable genetic mutations in metastatic breast cancer patients in Ghana, using Lucence’s LiquidHALLMARK® assay. Most recently, Yemaachi was named a recipient of a prestigious Cancer Grand Challenges Award as part of Team SAMBAI, a global consortium of 15 institutions across 4 countries.
About Institut Pasteur Tunis
The Institut Pasteur of Tunis is an internationally renowned centre for biomedical research that stands out in many disciplines under the authority of the Tunisian Ministry of Health. Its mission is to carry out epidemiological, genetics, clinical and biomedical investigations, as well as research activities related to human and animal health. Institut Pasteur of Tunis also manufactures vaccines and sera for the needs of Tunisia and neighbouring countries. Affiliated to the Université de Tunis El Manar, the institute contributes to higher education at both the national and regional levels. By deciphering the fundamental mechanisms of living organisms, its researchers contribute to the advancement of knowledge that leads to cutting-edge medical applications, ultimately improving public health.
Yemaachi is creating and harnessing the world’s most robust cancer bio-database to develop the next generation of cancer diagnostics and drugs that are effective in diverse populations. Our mission is to save lives globally, while supporting the well-being of communities that inspire and advance this work. Yemaachi believes in a future where African genomic diversity, insights, and expertise are an integral part of precision oncology research, diagnostics, and therapeutics, for the benefit of patients everywhere.