Agilent and National Heart Centre Singapore Join Forces for Heart Research

Agilent Technologies Inc. and the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) have formalized a collaboration through a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at advancing research into metabolic heart failure. This initiative, announced on November 13, 2025, seeks to explore the complexities of metabolic heart failure, a pressing concern in cardiovascular medicine.

Heart failure is a significant global health issue, contributing to high rates of mortality and disability. Metabolic forms of heart failure, including diabetic heart failure and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), present unique challenges due to their limited treatment options. The partnership between Agilent and NHCS intends to leverage cutting-edge technologies and human cardiac organoids to enhance understanding of the metabolic drivers behind these conditions.

Under the terms of the agreement, the two organizations will utilize human-derived heart tissues alongside Agilent’s innovative Seahorse XF Flex Analyzer. This technology is designed to facilitate real-time metabolic analysis in three-dimensional tissues and organoid workflows, enabling researchers to detect metabolic changes in heart cells before physical damage occurs.

Prof. Derek Hausenloy, director of the National Heart Research Institute Singapore (NHRIS) at NHCS, emphasized the significance of this collaboration: “Our partnership with Agilent allows us to advance the study of heart disease using patient-specific beating heart cells. By combining NHCS’s expertise with Agilent’s advanced technology, we can accelerate the discovery of new therapies for heart failure patients who currently have limited treatment options.”

The NHCS has established itself as a leader in the modeling of monogenic cardiac diseases through patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This research has already led to the identification of novel therapeutic targets that are now undergoing clinical evaluation. The integration of Agilent’s next-generation technology with NHCS’s Preclinical Platform for Development of Therapeutics for Heart Failure (PREVENT-HF) is expected to yield valuable hypotheses for clinical validation, offering new insights into disease progression and therapy development.

Bharat Bhardwaj, vice president of APAC sales at Agilent, remarked on the partnership’s potential: “Together with NHCS, we are bridging science and technology to reimagine how metabolic heart failure is understood and treated through translational research. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to addressing unmet needs in cardiovascular care while strengthening our leadership in the biomedical ecosystem.”

Over the past decade, Agilent has significantly contributed to advancements in health research in Singapore. Notably, in 2019, Agilent partnered with the National University of Singapore (NUS) and National University Hospital (NUH) to launch a research hub with an investment of $38 million, aimed at enhancing clinical diagnostics and biochemistry testing.

Additionally, last year, Agilent collaborated with NUS to establish the NUS-Agilent Center of Excellence in Cell Metabolism. This initiative supports the Singapore Ministry of Health’s Project RESET and the Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme (CVMD-TRP), aiming to accelerate the discovery of insights into the mechanisms of heart disease.

Agilent Technologies, listed on the New York Stock Exchange as NYSE: A, is recognized globally for its analytical and clinical laboratory technologies, providing essential insights that enhance scientific research. The company reported revenues of $6.51 billion in the fiscal year 2024 and employs approximately 18,000 people worldwide.

The National Heart Centre Singapore stands out as a premier national and regional referral centre for cardiovascular diseases, offering comprehensive cardiac care services. With a capacity of 185 beds, NHCS is committed to providing top-tier care, evidenced by its ranking as the 12th best cardiology hospital in the world by Newsweek in 2025. The centre’s dedication to advancing cardiovascular health through innovative research and training underscores its critical role in the medical community.

For further details about Agilent Technologies and its initiatives, visit their official website at www.agilent.com. Information about NHCS can be found at www.nhcs.com.sg.