Genomics is the key to personalised, precision medicine. But despite Victoria leading the charge in demonstrating the life-changing benefits of genomics, there is now a critical risk that this revolutionary field of medicine will remain out of reach for patients.
After ten years of laying the foundations for world-leading genomic healthcare, the Melbourne Genomics Health Alliance is coming to an end, presenting a roadmap to hospital leaders and policy makers to encourage them to make genomics part of standard diagnostic and treatment practices in Victoria.
At its core, genomic care is the use of an individual's DNA to predict, diagnose and accurately treat a wide range of health conditions.
Since its inception, the Melbourne Genomics Health Alliance has propelled Victoria to be a leader in genomics, from establishing the real-world benefits of genomics for patients, to educating more than 5,000 health professionals in its use. What was once thought of as futuristic medicine is now delivering very real and effective results for patients today, by:
- Using a simple blood or saliva sample to find hidden answers that invasive tests can miss
- Changing the prognosis of people with kidney disease, heart disease, cancer and many other conditions
- Improving the outcomes and cutting the costs of intensive medical procedures like organ transplants
- Finding the treatment most likely to work for each specific patient, saving the health system millions of dollars otherwise wasted on ineffective medications or adverse events
- Tracking and controlling antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’
With the evidence for genomics now firmly in place, the Melbourne Genomics Health Alliance has been investigating other critical aspects of making it readily available: including quality and safety, cost-efficiency, technology requirements, and education for health professionals. This is the Alliance’s final, yet most pivotal piece of work in ensuring the longevity of genomics in our healthcare system.
Professor Clara Gaff, Executive Director at Melbourne Genomics Health Alliance, says: “We’ve worked with many health services to find safe, effective ways to provide quality genomic care to Victorians who need it most. Now it’s up to leaders across our health system to take this forward. The evidence is clear. The groundwork has been laid. It’s time to act.”
Dr Jill Gallagher AO, CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) also calls for action on genomics. "We know that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people do not receive the same level of healthcare, and genomics has the potential to help close the health gap by unlocking efficient, personalised treatments.”
“We need action to ensure that all Aboriginal people have access to the same level of care – including groundbreaking new care – as all other Australians."
Patients like Elise Donohue are advocates for the availability for genomic testing. In 2024, Elise became one of the first patients in the world to have their genomes sequenced prior to an organ transplant.
Reflecting on her own health journey of living with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis for more than 20 years, Elise says: “I’d always been a passionate advocate for organ donation – even joining the register as a teen. I never thought I’d need one myself. For people with conditions like mine, identifying causes and developing treatment through research [like genomics] could contribute to our quality of life and the number of years we have left to spend with our families.”
On Wednesday 19 March, Melbourne Genomics hosted its final; major event - The State of Genomic Care summit - at ACMI, Federation Square, to ignite important discussions with healthcare leaders about the future of genomics in our health system.