M42: Charting a sustainable and healthy future

Hasan Jasem Al Nowais, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of M42 Group, recently shared the transformations occurring in the region's healthcare industry and how M42 is leading patient-centric innovation and development to create a sustainable and healthy future for all. M42 has rapidly become a significant player in the field of healthcare innovation. Mr. Al Nowais elaborated on the key growth objectives driving the company's expansion, highlighting their strategic importance.

Mr. Al Nowais stated that M42's business has grown sixfold in the past six years, with a more diversified revenue stream, nearly half of which comes from international operations. The merger of Mubadala Health and G42 Healthcare has created a uniquely powerful force in healthcare innovation, laying the foundation for continued growth, medical advancements, and tangible global impact. Three key factors driving M42's growth are: a steadfast pursuit of excellent healthcare quality, expansion of international operations, and a determination to fill global health gaps, further solidifying their commitment to healthcare advancement.

Mr. Al Nowais emphasized that M42 consistently prioritizes high-quality healthcare services, continuously strengthening specialized services and advancing the three key areas of "precision, prevention, and prediction," prioritizing people's health and well-being. Through the acquisition of Diaverum, M42's operations have expanded to 480 clinics in 26 countries. M42 is leveraging these clinics as beachheads to extend its strengths into new markets to address the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, such as diabetes through the Imperial College London Diabetes Centre. M42 has identified key clusters such as kidney care, women's and children's health, and strategic priorities such as genomics and digital health, hoping to add value and support global efforts in these areas.

Genomics is an important pillar of M42's vision. Mr. Al Nowais believes that global genomics research lacks diversity, and many populations are unable to access the benefits of genomics, such as improved clinical care, understanding disease causes, early disease detection, better diagnosis, and rational drug design. M42 is correcting this imbalance. Building on the success of the Emirates Genome Program (EGP) in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Department of Health, M42 is leading several large-scale and impactful initiatives, including the Abu Dhabi Biobank.

Mr. Al Nowais pointed out that M42 has begun working with populations at risk of disease to implement prevention strategies, discover new genetic mutations, and gain a deeper understanding of diseases to increase the diversity of global genomics research. With the largest genomics facility outside the United States, capable of sequencing 400,000 genetic samples annually, M42 is fully equipped to support other countries in launching population health programs, thereby having a transformative impact on their healthcare ecosystems. M42 recently signed an agreement with the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan to achieve this goal. Furthermore, with unique phenotypic and genotypic datasets, as well as data from environmental science work, M42 is leveraging its data and AI-driven ecosystem to accelerate drug discovery and development, improve clinical trial efficiency, and deepen R&D, thereby driving the life sciences agenda.

Mr. Al Nowais also spoke about M42's vision for the future of healthcare. He believes that with the increase in chronic diseases, rising healthcare costs, and disparities in global healthcare accessibility, the UAE has developed a bold plan to bridge the gaps in global healthcare by connecting with organizations around the world. M42 is at the heart of this transformation, committed to advancing precision, preventive, and predictive health solutions, and leveraging advanced technologies to help create a more sustainable and healthy future. The true strength of M42 lies in combining physical and digital, patient care and cutting-edge technology, and phenotypic and genotypic datasets to drive innovation in healthcare.