Ghana-Based Biotech Aims too Revolutionize Cancer Treatment wiht Africa’s First Genetic Database

Accra, Ghana – A Ghanaian biotech company is spearheading an ambitious effort to combat cancer on the African continent and beyond, by building the first complete database of African genetic and clinical cancer information. Yemaachi Biotech, co-founded in 2020 by Yaw bediako, aims to address a critical gap in global cancer research and treatment, fueled by a personal tragedy and a glaring disparity in genomic data.

Bediako’s initiative stems from the loss of his father to cancer fifteen years prior. He realized the staggering impact of the disease in Africa, where limited research and resources contribute to grim statistics.”I realized that cancer is this huge disease in Africa that doesn’t really get much research attention,” he explains. “But it’s not just an African problem, it’s global … It stands out as a problem that does not distinguish between geographies or socioeconomic class.”

The African Cancer Atlas, as the database will be known, aims to collect genetic and clinical information from up to 7,500 cancer patients across Africa. This data will provide invaluable insights into cancer within African populations, facilitating drug discovery, treatment research, and ultimately, a reduction in cancer outcome disparities. The Atlas will be freely accessible to African researchers.Already, the project has garnered significant support, including funding and technical backing from Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche, announced in February 2024.

this project also encompasses data on childhood cancers. Alarming statistics reveal that an “estimated 85% of paediatric cancers occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)” while survival rates lag significantly behind those in high-income nations. The survival rate for children with cancer in lmics is approximately 30%, compared to 80% in high-income countries.

The urgency of this initiative is underscored by the severe underrepresentation of African genomes in global research.”Less then 2% of human genomes analyzed so far have been those of Africans,” despite the continent housing 17% of the world’s population and possessing the greatest genetic diversity. This lack of portrayal hinders a comprehensive understanding of cancer and its treatment, notably for those of African descent, globally.

Dr. Patrick Kafui Akakpo, a pathologist in Ghana with a specialization in breast cancer, confirms the critical need for this research. He notes that Ghanaian women, for example, are particularly susceptible to triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive and difficult-to-treat form of the disease.

“We are aware that the African genome is not as well-studied as the European one,” Akakpo states. “We have very few clinical trials going on and most of them are in infectious diseases and not cancer. It means that we don’t have the experience or data to support the efficacy of drugs in our people.”

Bediako emphasizes what he believes are structural inequalities as partial reasoning for the lack of funding in cancer genomics. “The field of human ancestry is rife with racism and with discrimination,” he says.”You cannot overlook those as possible reasons why certain groups have been understudied.”

Due to this lack of data in non-European populations, Bediako says certain drugs have been developed that are not as effective for all people. “You can find Europeans whose genomes will have certain traits that are more common in Africans,” he points out.”So by being more inclusive in the genomes we study, we will have the opportunity to develop solutions.”

The potential benefits of this research extend far beyond Africa. By incorporating a more diverse set of genomes, researchers can develop more effective and targeted therapies for individuals of all ethnicities.

Big pharmaceutical companies have started taking notice of this discrepancy, with companies such as GSK and Novartis announcing the collaboration to explore the links between genetic diversity and “African patients’ response to malaria and tuberculosis drugs.” additionally “four pharma companies donated $20m (£15m) to sequence 500,000 African and African American genomes” in 2023.

Yemaachi is currently funded by a mix of investors, grants, and philanthropy. Bediako hopes to increasingly rely on commercial partnerships to sustain the company’s work. However, he acknowledges the ethical considerations involved in perhaps profiting from patient data.

Aida Manu, yemaachi’s director of operations, explains, “We realize we have to do something. It’s very complex. The participants are vulnerable becuase they have an illness we are interested in and many are vulnerable economically.It’s still early days but we make it clear we are looking to find a way to have this community benefit from the research coming out.”

David Hutchful, a co-founder and the company’s chief technology officer, revealed that convincing foreign investors can be challenging. “We call it the Africa tax, or the black tax,” he explains. “It’s not overt but it comes through when investors ask certain questions which sometimes show they have little working knowledge of Africa.” He mentioned that questions such as “whether ther’s enough electricity to power the freezers for samples,” have been brought up.

Despite these hurdles, the Yemaachi team remains optimistic. Bediako states that along with the science and work, he hopes to “portray the Africa I know now exists, that I love and want to contribute to.” He concludes, “My dream is one day there will be drugs used to treat cancer around the world that will be derived from knowledge that was generated from this continent – and that shows Africa has something to offer the world.”

How will the African cancer Atlas contribute to the development of more effective cancer treatments for populations of African descent?