Anuva and Vedanta’s BALCO Medical Centre (BMC) announce strategic collaboration in cancer genomics
6th October 2022
Singapore and Naya Raipur, Chhattisgarh; 6th October 2022: Anuva, a translational research company, and the Vedanta’s BALCO Medical Centre (BMC), one of India’s leading cancer hospitals, jointly announce strategic collaboration to build a Cancer Genomics Biobank for research on cancer in India. The memorandum of understanding was signed by Dr. Jonathan Picker, CEO of Anuva, and Dr. Bhawna Sirohi, Medical Director of BMC, at the BALCO Medical Centre in Naya Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
This collaboration leverages the strengths of both organizations – the clinical expertise of BALCO Medical Centre and Anuva’s biobanking and genomic expertise. Anuva and BMC aim to use this cancer bio/data bank for clinical research to identify relevant insights for precision medicine application for cancer in India.
A cancer focused bio/data bank will help both organizations accelerate discoveries by bringing together biological factors with the background risk elements, at a population level, to find the critical genes that drive cancer. The resulting knowledge will improve understanding of how genetic variants influence cancer, thereby, increasing effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment.
Speaking about the collaboration, Mrs. Jyoti Agarwal, Chairperson of BALCO Medical Centre, said, “This is another milestone in the journey of BALCO Medical Centre towards becoming India’s cancer care destination. Our collaboration with Anuva will bring together the best of knowledge, technology and research to serve the people of India better, through precision medicine and targeted treatment.”
Dr Bhawna Sirohi, Medical Director of BMC, added, “This partnership will provide us a bridge to support “bench to bedside” research, driving our efforts to accelerate progress in treating cancer and also help patients with cancer live longer with better quality of life.”
“I am tremendously excited to embark on this endeavor with BALCO Medical Centre,” said Dr Jonathan Picker, CEO of Anuva. He further noted, “Despite all the research, cancer still remains the third leading cause of death. As a genetic disease, the research needs to be personalized to the affected populations.”
About Vedanta Limited:
Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil & Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa and Namibia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment. Vedanta has put in place a comprehensive framework to be the ESG leader in the natural resources sector. Vedanta is committed to reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050 or sooner and has pledged $5 billion over the next 10 years to accelerate the transition to net zero operations. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. The company’s flagship social impact program, Nand Ghars, have been set up as model anganwadis focused on eradicating child malnutrition, providing education, healthcare, and empowering women with skill development. Under the aegis of the Anil Agarwal Foundation, the umbrella entity for Vedanta’s social initiatives, the Vedanta group has pledged Rs 5000 crore over the next five years on social impact programmes with a thrust on nutrition, women & child development, healthcare, animal welfare, and grass-root level sports. Vedanta and the group companies have been featured in Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and was conferred Frost & Sullivan Sustainability Awards 2020, Golden Peacock Award for excellence in Corporate Governance 2022 and certified as a Great Place to Work 2022. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.
For more information, please visit www.vedantalimited.com
About Vedanta Aluminium Business:
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.37 million tonnes in FY24. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 1st in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its leading sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
For more information, please log on to www.vedantaaluminium.com
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