Sidra Medicine to launch genome-based newborn screening of treatable genetic disorders

Doha, Qatar: Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation and Rady Children s Institute for Genomic Medicine have signed an agreement to collaborate o...

Doha, Qatar: Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation and Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine have signed an agreement to collaborate on implementing RCIGM’s genome-based newborn screening research program, BeginNGS (pronounced “beginnings”).

Sidra Medicine is the first international site to join the BeginNGS Consortium, which will help the healthcare organization to advance the detection of genetic diseases and enable timely interventions that lessen and prevent suffering among children. The agreement is part of Sidra Medicine’s Research Strategy to implement translational genomic medicine for a wide range of rare and complex diseases, including monogenic disorders and type 1 diabetes.

Prof. Khalid Fakhro, Chief Research Officer at Sidra Medicine said: "We are proud to join the BeginNGS Consortium, which will allow us to accelerate the implementation of best-in-class protocols to advance precision medicine from birth, Through this partnership, we will develop screening algorithms tailored to our population and shorten the path from diagnosis to intervention by picking up conditions as early as possible, thus giving children with rare and metabolic disorders in Qatar and the region the best possible start in life.”

The partnership with BeginNGS will extend Sidra Medicine’s efforts to establish the first large-scale newborn genome screening research initiative in the region. The initiative, known as NOOR-QATAR, led by Dr. Ammira Al-Shabeeb Akil, Director of the Metabolic and Mendelian Translational Research Program at Sidra Medicine, will also set a new standard for preventative medicine in genomics.