The Valens Clinic Partners with Gene S Australia
A new collaboration gives patients in Dubai access to fast, evidence-based genetic testing that helps guide psychiatric prescribing — including patients under the care of doctors at other clinics.
The Valens Clinic is pleased to announce a new partnership with Gene S, a pioneering Australian biotechnology company specialising in pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing. Through this collaboration, we are now able to offer patients in the UAE access to RosaMind, Gene S’s high-end, evidence-based genetic test designed to help clinicians select psychiatric medications and doses with greater precision.
Why pharmacogenomics matters in psychiatry
One of the enduring challenges in mental health care is that the same medication can work very differently from one person to the next. A treatment that transforms one patient’s life may cause troublesome side effects, or little benefit at all, in another. A significant proportion of patients do not respond adequately to the first antidepressant they are prescribed, which often means weeks or months of trial and error before the right treatment is found.
Much of this variability is written into our DNA. Genes that govern the liver enzymes responsible for metabolising medication — including well-characterised drug-gene pairs such as CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 — influence how quickly a person processes many commonly prescribed antidepressants and other psychotropic medications.
Pharmacogenomic testing reads these genetic markers and translates them into practical prescribing guidance, helping clinicians anticipate who may need a different medication, a higher dose, or a lower one.
Used thoughtfully, and always in the hands of the treating clinician rather than as a standalone answer, PGx testing can shorten the path to an effective, well-tolerated treatment and reduce the burden of avoidable side effects.
Why we chose Gene S
Choosing the right partner mattered to us. The pharmacogenomics field is crowded, and not every test is built on the same scientific foundations. Gene S stood out for several reasons:
A trustworthy, credible company. Gene S is an established Australian biotechnology company whose flagship pharmacogenomic test, RosaMind, was developed specifically for mental health prescribing. It is grounded in next-generation sequencing and internationally recognised prescribing guidelines, and Gene S’s work has been recognised within Australia’s innovation and precision-medicine community.
Fast turnaround. RosaMind results are returned in under three weeks — considerably faster than many comparable services — so that findings can inform treatment decisions while it still matters most.
Competitively priced. Advanced genetic testing has historically been expensive and out of reach for most patients. This partnership brings the cost within a far more accessible range, making precision prescribing a realistic option rather than a luxury.
Simple and non-invasive. Testing requires only a straightforward sample, with results returned in a clear, clinician-friendly format that supports — rather than complicates — the prescribing decision.
A quote from our Medical Director
“Psychiatry has always been a discipline that pairs careful clinical judgement with the best available science, and pharmacogenomics is a natural extension of that tradition. For too long, matching a patient to the right medication has relied on trial and error, which is costly in time, in wellbeing, and sometimes in trust between patient and clinician. Genetic testing does not replace the psychiatrist’s assessment, but it gives us an additional, evidence-based layer of information to prescribe more precisely and more safely from the outset. Partnering with a rigorous, high-quality provider like Gene S means our patients benefit from this technology without compromising on the standards we hold ourselves to.”
— Dr. Joseph El-Khoury, Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Director, The Valens Clinic
Available to patients across the UAE — not only Valens patients
Importantly, this service is not limited to patients registered at The Valens Clinic. We recognise that many people already have a trusted psychiatrist, GP, or other prescriber elsewhere. Any patient who could benefit from pharmacogenomic testing is welcome to access the service through us, and the resulting report can be shared with, and used by, the doctor of their choice — wherever that doctor practises.
Our goal is to raise the standard of psychiatric care across the region, and we believe that making this technology widely available is part of that responsibility.
Interested in pharmacogenomic testing?
If you or your treating clinician would like to learn more about whether RosaMind pharmacogenomic testing is appropriate for you, our team is here to help. Testing is most valuable in specific clinical situations, and our clinicians can advise on whether it is likely to add value in your case.
To find out more or to arrange testing, please contact The Valens Clinic or speak to a member of our team at either our Jumeirah 3 or Business Bay location.
The Valens Clinic is a multidisciplinary mental health clinic in Dubai, licensed by the DHA and CDA, integrating psychiatry, psychology, and allied health services. Pharmacogenomic testing is offered as a clinical decision-support tool and does not replace individual clinical assessment. Results should always be interpreted by a qualified healthcare professional.