Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani said that the national and international collaboration must be strengthened in scientific research and its application at an event in Bengaluru.
During his speech, which was telecast virtually at the inauguration of a blood-based test for early detection of multiple cancers by Strand Lifesciences, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, Ambani further said that the new facility will “serve as the launchpad of ground-breaking discoveries and transformative innovations”.
Called CancerSpot, the test uses the latest globally accepted methylation profiling technology to identify cancer tumor DNA fragments. CancerSpot works off a simple blood sample and uses a proprietary genome sequencing and analysis process to identify DNA methylation signatures of cancer in the blood. The test provides a simple and convenient option for proactive and routine cancer screening.
The latest rolled program will be carried out at the 33,000 square feet state-of-the-art Genomics Diagnostics & Research Centre in Bengaluru.
Moreover, Ambani further noted that early detection is half the battle won in the fight against cancer. “CancerSpot can significantly reduce the suffering of cancer patients, and also eliminate the financial and psychological stress. CancerSpot is simply the beginning, we must aim to produce many more affordable products that can address critical healthcare challenges in India and beyond. India is poised to drive genomic revolution.”
Furthermore, Ambani stressed the importance of artificial intelligence in the field of genomics and life sciences. “In combination with AI, these segments will transform the world even more dramatically in the next few decades. AI has been making stunning breakthroughs that can vastly expand the number of structures available to scientists. This promises the acceleration of pace for biomedical research & drug discovery.”
Ramesh Hariharan, CEO and co-founder, Strand Life Sciences, said, “Early warning is the key to battle cancer ?”? and win it. We are proud to launch an accessible early cancer detection test that will enable people to stay ahead of cancer.”
“Furthermore, we plan to make the tests more accessible and affordable. Presently, the tests for early cancer detection ranges within the range of Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000. In the next 5 years, we plan to bring the costs down nearly Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000,” Hariharan further added.