Yemaachi Biotech, a pioneering Genomics research company based in Ghana, in collaboration with Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN), a global leader in sequencing technology, has announced the arrival of the NovaSeq X Plus – the most powerful sequencer ever developed by Illumina – to Ghana.
This marks the first installation of its kind in the country and is set to significantly accelerate cancer research focused on reducing inequities in care for African populations.
Globally, cancer diagnosis and treatment are moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach to more personalised strategies, where each person’s cancer is as unique as their fingerprint.
This shift is driving the rise of precision medicine, transforming how cancer is detected, understood and treated.
Yet, much of the genetic research underpinning these advancements has focused primarily on populations of European ancestry.
As a result, people of African descent remain under-represented in cancer studies, limiting the effectiveness of diagnostic tools and treatments across diverse populations and contributing to global disparities in outcomes.
To address this imbalance, Yemaachi earlier this year launched The African Cancer Atlas (TACA), an initiative aimed at building the world’s most comprehensive cancer genomics database centered on African populations.
“This initiative tackles the serious underrepresentation of African genomic data in global cancer research,” said Dr. Yaw Bediako, CEO of Yemaachi.
“The NovaSeq X Plus brings the scale and speed we need to generate the data required to make this database a reality.”
Bridget Mogale, Illumina’s Country Manager for Africa, highlighted the transformative capabilities of the new sequencer:
“The NovaSeq X Plus can produce more than twice the number of genomes compared to our previous platforms, with unmatched speed, scale, and accuracy.
“Yemaachi is now better positioned to accelerate its mission and improve outcomes for cancer patients.”
According to the World Health Organisation’s Global Cancer Observatory, cancer continues to pose a growing public health challenge across Africa, with new cases rising every year.
Inclusive genomic research is increasingly critical to improving care and advancing new therapies.
“As pharmaceutical companies strive to develop more precise treatments, access to diverse genomic data has never been more urgent,” said Akwasi Asabere, VP of Partnerships at Yemaachi.
“Africa holds the highest genetic diversity on the planet, and our goal is to build the world’s most representative cancer bio-database—one that will inform the next generation of therapies for people around the globe.”
Mogale added, “At Illumina, we believe in the power of genomics to transform global health. Yemaachi’s deployment of the NovaSeq X Plus in Ghana represents a major step forward in addressing disparities in cancer research and ensuring African populations are included in the future of precision medicine. We’re proud to support their leadership in this important effort.”
