Apollo Hospitals to set up another 5 Genomics Institutes in FY26

Mumbai, Sep 23 (PTI) Apollo Hospitals Group is planning to open an additional five Apollo Genomics Institutes mainly in the tier II and III cities in the east, north and the central part of the country that will help in integrating genomics into mainstream clinical care.

"We are planning five new Apollo Genomics Institutes in this financial year, before March 31. We want to expand to the northeast with a centre in Guwahati in Assam, Bhubaneswar in Odisha, Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, Indore in Madhya Pradesh and in Vizag in Andhra Pradesh," Apollo Hospitals Group Medical Director and Senior Consultant Pediatric Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist Anupam Sibal told reporters on Tuesday.

At present, there are 12 Apollo Genomics Institutes across the country, including the ones in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata.

Genetics plays a crucial role in understanding various diseases and conditions and these institutes offer comprehensive genomic services, ranging from precise diagnostics and personalised treatment planning to ongoing patient care and guidance, said Sibal.

Some of the major impact areas of Genomics are Preventive Genomics, Reproductive Genomics- Mother and Child, Specialty Genomics and Onco-Genetics.

While genomics provide specialised expertise in reproductive genomics, oncology, and rare genetic disorders, the institutes' overarching mission is to democratise access to genomic insights, enabling families across diverse communities to make informed health decisions and benefit from the promise of precision medicine, he added.

Apollo Genomics Institutes, which reached the milestone of 11,000 genomic consultations, also provide comprehensive genetic testing, counselling, and personalised treatment options to the patients.

However, Sibal said, there is a skill gap in genomics, and Apollo Hospitals Group is planning to set up its own genomics training centre to create more skilled manpower in the segment.

"We'll apply to the national board for setting up our own genomics training centre in the next few months, so that we can build more capacity. We need enough teachers to be able to train to create skilled geneticists, clinicians, and researchers. So by next financial year we expect to set up the training institute," he added.

Beyond consultations, Apollo Hospitals is also looking forward to research projects based on the needs, he said.

"The next step will be to look at precise research projects in different populations. For this we will collaborate with universities and research institutes. We are in informal discussions with a few of them," added Sibal.

India's diverse genetic fabric, with more than 4,000 ethnic groups and a high prevalence of endogamy, presents both unique challenges and unparalleled opportunities in decoding disease patterns, said Sibal.

Apollo Genomics Institutes recently achieved a milestone of 11,000 genomic consultations that enabled families across diverse communities to make informed health decisions and benefit from the promise of precision medicine.

Sibal further said with improvement of technology and database, the cost of testing is expected to go down.

"With more data, improving technology, (the cost of testing) it's going to come down. Currently, it costs Rs 60,000 for whole genome sequencing, and Rs 18,000 for targeted sequencing, which we use more," he added. PTI SM HVA