Abu Dhabi has reached a major medical milestone, becoming the first location worldwide to administer a next-generation breast cancer drug, Camizestrant, in a clinical setting. The treatment was provided at the Burjeel Cancer Institute to a patient whose cancer was showing early signs of resistance to conventional therapies. By utilizing advanced circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) monitoring, doctors identified a specific ESR1 gene mutation months before it would have been visible on standard medical scans. This proactive approach allowed the clinical team to switch the patient to Camizestrant, which is specifically engineered to target both normal and mutated estrogen receptors.

This breakthrough, overseen by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, highlights the emirate’s commitment to precision medicine and early intervention. The efficacy of this shift in care is backed by the global SERENA-6 clinical trial, which demonstrated that switching to Camizestrant reduces the risk of disease progression or death by 56%. Furthermore, patients in the study experienced significantly longer periods of disease control compared to those on traditional hormone therapies. For the UAE, this achievement marks a significant step forward in ensuring that patients have access to cutting-edge, personalized cancer care without the need to travel abroad for life-saving treatment.