A government steering committee report outlines plans for how Hong Kong can move forward with its genomic medicine efforts, according to the South China Morning Post.
The report describes eight ways, it adds, Hong Kong can bolster genomic medicine, including through the launch of the Hong Kong Genome Project. That project, it notes, plans to begin recruiting in the middle of next year with the goal of enrolling 20,000 people for sequencing. Part of the project's aim, it says, to be able to more easily diagnose rare diseases and better treat cancer. The report additionally recommends developing a network of biobanks, SCMP says.
At the same time, the government steering committee recommends increased oversight of the field, SCMP reports. For instance, the committee says insurance companies should not require customers to undergo genetic testing for coverage and that research-based results should not be shared with insurance companies, but diagnostic genetic test results should be provided to them.