Abu Dhabi-based M42, through its Insights Research Organization and Solutions (IROS), has launched the UAE’s first genomics-driven clinical trial aimed at preventing Alzheimer’s disease. The initiative is being conducted in collaboration with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and US biotechnology company Halia Therapeutics.
The trial will use data from the Emirati Genome Programme to identify individuals carrying the APOE4 gene variant, a major genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, before symptoms appear. Participants will undergo screening and genetic counseling before being evaluated for Halia’s investigational therapy, HT-4253.
David Kavanagh, Interim General Manager, IROS, said, “This trial represents the clinical translation of a decade of genomic investment in the UAE. The Emirati Genome Programme was built to improve health outcomes, and today we are translating that data into real-world clinical research. IROS was established to enable precisely these types of biomarker-driven, prevention-oriented trials, and this marks an important first step.”
Albarah El-Khani, Chief Operating Officer, Integrated Health Solutions, M42, said: “Combining one of the most comprehensive national genomic datasets in the world with Halia Therapeutics’ investigational therapy and M42’s integrated clinical and data infrastructure allows us to identify APOE4 carriers at population scale, with clinical linkage, in a population that is systematically underrepresented in global research. That is not a marginal advantage, it is a structural one.”
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The study marks a major step in translating genomic data into real-world clinical applications and supports Abu Dhabi’s growing role in precision medicine and prevention-focused healthcare. The Emirati Genome Programme has sequenced more than 900,000 genomes, making it one of the world’s largest national genomic initiatives.
Dave Bearss, Ph.D., President, CEO & Co-Founder, Halia Therapeutics, said: “Halia’s approach to drug discovery is built on genetic resilience, identifying the biological mechanisms that protect certain individuals from disease, even in the presence of high-risk genotypes. The Emirati Genome Programme and M42’s integrated clinical and data infrastructure give us the tools to translate that science directly into a prevention-focused clinical trial. We are not waiting for disease to appear. We are acting at the moment when intervention can matter most, and the Emirati Genome Programme gives us a population-scale platform to do so. That is why we have established a presence in Abu Dhabi, and we are excited to show the world what the future can look like when we use these tools to focus on early intervention in high-risk populations.”
