Malaysia Precision Medicine Initiative

In 2020, the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) formed a task force on the Precision Medicine initiative for Malaysia to discuss its feasibility for Malaysia. Precision medicine is an innovative approach to treating and preventing diseases that considers a person’s genetic makeup, environmental factors, and lifestyle. The ASM task force provided strategic recommendations to the government through a Position Paper that recommended rolling out a national genome sequencing initiative, implementing electronic medical records (EMR) throughout all hospitals, and establishing a National-level Biobank. 

The Malaysian Genome and Vaccine Institute (MGVI), a biotechnology institute under the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation Malaysia, has been appointed for the MyGenom project. Marking the start of the Malaysian Precision Medicine Initiative, the MyGenom project is scheduled to be undertaken over the next ten years using 10,000 human samples in Malaysia. One aim of the initiative is to serve as a reference for the diverse population and ethnicity of Malaysians that characterize genetic variation. Another objective is to gather genomic data in diagnostic and preventive medicine.

According to the three-year proposed timeline, MGVI will initiate the project, select samples, and purchase the necessary equipment in 2023. Institute plans to complete the sequencing of the 10,000 genomes and the analysis of the genomic data for clinical significance by 2026. As the precision medicine industry is new to Malaysia, U.S. expertise and technology on genome sequencing and precision medicine will be added value.

If you represent a U.S. Company with relevant technology or expertise keen to explore opportunities in Malaysia, please contact Commercial Specialist Bethany Tien at office.kualalumpur@trade.gov.