Palex Portugal, a leading company in medical equipment and cancer diagnostics, has joined forces with Antegenes, a health technology and healthcare service provider specialising in polygenic risk score (PRS) testing for personalised cancer prevention. Together, we are launching a new partnership aimed at saving more lives through earlier and more targeted cancer prevention.
“Partnering with Antegenes enables us to offer innovative solutions that align with Portugal’s growing focus on preventive healthcare. We are committed to supporting the early adoption of personalised medicine for the benefit of both patients and healthcare providers,” said José Marcelino Marques, General Manager of Palex Portugal.
“We are proud to collaborate with Palex in expanding the reach of personalised cancer prevention in Portugal. With their strong connections in the local healthcare ecosystem, this partnership will help make advanced genetic risk testing and personalised cancer prevention accessible in the country,” said Dr Peeter Padrik, oncologist and CEO of Antegenes.
Building on Portuguese Expertise and Demand
This collaboration aims to expand access to personalised cancer prevention services in Portugal by working closely with local healthcare providers and institutions. The goal is to introduce cutting-edge genetic risk testing and evidence-based personalised prevention plans to a broader audience across the country.
Cancer remains a major public health concern in Portugal, being the second leading cause of mortality. Alarmingly, colorectal cancer accounts for 52% of all treatable cancer deaths and breast cancer contributes to 34%. Globally, breast cancer is the number one cancer that leaves children orphaned, underlining its deep social and familial impact.
Portuguese healthcare professionals are already familiar with Antegenes’ AnteBC test for breast cancer prevention. In 2024, a personalised breast cancer prevention study, funded by EIT Health and led by Professor Luís Costa, was successfully conducted at ULS Santa Maria (Santa Maria Hospital). This landmark study offered personalised risk-based prevention services to 800 Portuguese women aged 35-49. The high level of participation demonstrated strong interest and demand for genetic testing and personalised cancer prevention solutions in Portugal.
Evidence-Based Innovation in Cancer Prevention
Personalised cancer prevention is a telemedicine service already available in Estonia, the UK, and Germany, and soon in Portugal. It is a complete, end-to-end solution for both patients and healthcare professionals to prevent breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer, as well as skin melanoma.
The service is based on individual’s genetic profile and uses a simple, clinical-grade buccal swab test developed by Antegenes. It is based on polygenic risk score (PRS) technology that analyses thousands of genetic variants to assess individual cancer risk and support prevention or early detection. These CE-marked tests are also registered in Infarmed’s SIDM medical device registry in Portugal.
Each test comes with a comprehensive medical report that includes actionable, personalised recommendations on when and how to begin screening, what risk-reducing steps to consider, and which symptoms to monitor. The prevention plan is built on a clinically validated polygenic risk score (PRS) test, combined with a short family history questionnaire to help assess whether further heritable monogenic mutation testing is needed.
Recently, the international expert group published the first evidence-based clinical guidelines for using PRS in breast cancer risk assessment in the journal Cancers. The guidance provides a clear framework for integrating PRS testing into routine clinical practice. Similarly, Antegenes’ personalised prevention recommendations for prostate cancer already incorporate the latest evidence, including findings from the BARCODE1 study, recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). These recommendations reflect cutting-edge clinical research and are designed to support timely and targeted cancer screening.
