The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and Roche collaborate to provide preventive and treatment innovations

A declaration of collaboration between both entities was signed by H.E. Dr. Jamal Al Kaabi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, and Dr. Mohamed ElShaarawy, General Manager, UAE Roche Pharmaceuticals, in the presence of H.E. Abdulla bin Mohamed Al Hamed, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and H.E. Massimo Baggi, Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation to the UAE and Bahrain. 

As per the collaboration, the emirate adopted Roche’s casirivimab and imdevimab for the treatment of mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 patients. The move comes as part of the therapeutic and preventive methods used by the emirate to preserve the health and safety of community members and builds on the continued adoption of medicines and treatments for critical cases and individuals at higher risk of developing serious symptoms.

H.E. Dr. Jamal Al Kaabi said, “Today, we have taken a significant step towards improving healthcare services in Abu Dhabi. We are happy to collaborate with Roche as part of our efforts to build a robust life science hub and spearhead the latest advancements for COVID-19 prevention and treatment. Guided by the vision of our wise leadership, we are empowered to implement measures that leverage innovation and technology to deliver superior patient experiences and outcomes.”

Dr. Mohamed ElShaarawy said, “We are honoured to partner with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and contribute to realising the vision of a world-class healthcare ecosystem. This collaboration is a pivotal moment for a personalised and value-based healthcare where patients can receive the best possible care, tailored to their individual disease and lifestyle. To achieve this, our focus must evolve from treating diseases to delivering patient-centred and innovative healthcare solutions for a healthier society”.

Commenting on the collaboration, the Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation to the UAE and Bahrain, H.E. Massimo Baggi, said, “Healthcare is the cornerstone of a well-functioning community, and it is encouraging to see the healthcare authorities take pride in their work and strive to evolve by incorporating the latest advancements and technologies. I am happy to witness a collaboration that shares best practices and fosters innovation for better health outcomes in Abu Dhabi and the UAE.”

The collaboration will be instrumental in establishing Abu Dhabi as a life science hub that delivers impactful solutions that address patient needs and societal burdens. By developing a collaborative ecosystem in bio-pharma, personalised healthcare and healthcare technology, the life science hub can act as a pipeline for prototypes that can prevent, detect, manage and monitor diseases.

Roche treatement is composed of two monoclonal antibodies: casirivimab and imdevimab. Together, they form a monoclonal antibody combination with the potential both to treat patients with COVID-19 and prevent disease in those who may be exposed to the virus. The treatment has been approved in the European Union and Japan, and conditionally approved in the UK and Australia. In addition, the treatment is authorised for emergency use or temporary pandemic use in the United States, India, Switzerland and Canada, and is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Roche is the world’s largest biotech company, with differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management. In recent years, Roche has invested in genomic profiling and real-world data partnerships and has become an industry-leading partner for medical insights.