Abu Dhabi makes history: World's first patient receives breakthrough breast cancer drug in clinical care

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi has marked a global milestone achievement by becoming the first in the world where Camizestrant, a next-generation therapy for advanced breast cancer, has been administered to a patient in a clinical care setting, the Department of Health-Abu Dhabi (DoH) announced on Wednesday.

The treatment is designed to support earlier, more targeted intervention for patients whose cancer has developed resistance to conventional hormone therapy.

Earlier this month, the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) announced that the UAE had become the first country in the world to approve a new oral treatment, AstraZeneca's Etcamah with the active ingredient, camizestrant, for a specific type of advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

Woman in her forties

Under the supervision of DoH, the regulator of the healthcare sector in Abu Dhabi, Burjeel Cancer Institute has administered this novel precision therapy to a woman in her forties diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. The patient was found to have an ESR1 gene mutation, which may cause the cancer to become resistant to conventional endocrine treatment and allow the disease to progress.

The mutation was detected through circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) monitoring, a blood-based approach that can identify molecular changes linked to treatment resistance before disease progression becomes visible on scans or through clinical symptoms.

Camizestrant offers a more targeted treatment option for patients whose cancer has developed ESR1 gene mutation. By providing a more precise and personalised treatment option before clear signs of disease progression appear, it may help to control the cancer for longer, delay further progression and preserve patients’ quality of life.

Precision medicine

According to health officials, the achievement reflects Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading destination for best-in-class care, where advanced diagnostics and timely access to specialised treatments are supporting more personalised care.

Dr Noura Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) said: The future of healthcare is not defined by treating disease, but by how early we can identify change and intervene before a patient’s condition progresses. Enabling the first global administration of Camizestrant in a clinical setting reflects Abu Dhabi’s vision of building one of the world’s most intelligent and advanced healthcare systems, founded on prevention, early detection, and timely intervention. By accelerating responsible access to advanced therapies with tangible impact at the right time, Abu is enabling precision medicine and more personalised care, improving patient outcomes and reinforcing its position as a leading global destination for healthcare”.

Prof Humaid Bin Harmal Al Shamsi, Chief Executive Officer of Burjeel Cancer Institute, added: "We are proud that Burjeel Cancer Institute has become the first centre in the world to treat a patient with this innovative therapy. This milestone reflects Burjeel Cancer Institute’s vision of integrating advanced molecular diagnostics, artificial intelligence, and sophisticated analytical technologies into the patient care pathway, enabling more personalised and precise treatment decisions tailored to the biological characteristics of each individual case."

How resistance is detected

He added: "This achievement is not simply about introducing a new drug; it represents the adoption of a comprehensive precision oncology model built on continuous molecular monitoring. Through ctDNA testing, we are now able to detect endocrine therapy resistance at a very early stage and intervene before any radiological or clinical signs of disease progression emerge, giving patients a greater opportunity to control their disease while preserving their quality of life."

The treatment approach is supported by findings from the global SERENA-6 clinical trial. The study showed that switching patients with an ESR1 mutation detected through ctDNA monitoring to Camizestrant reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 56% compared with continuing conventional endocrine therapy.

SERENA-6 is the first global registrational trial to use serial ctDNA monitoring to guide a treatment change before radiological or clinical disease progression becomes evident, representing a significant shift in the management of advanced breast cancer.