DoH signs MoU with Roche Pharmaceuticals Middle East to elevate research, clinical trials and real-world data

17 May, 2024:

The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the Emirate, has signed an MoU with Roche Pharmaceuticals Middle East during Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week (ADGHW). Reinforcing Abu Dhabi's position as a leading destination for life science, the agreement seeks to enhance innovation, health services and treatment available to patients in the Emirate.

In the presence of Dr. Rashed Alsuwaidi, the Executive Director of the Healthcare Workforce Planning Sector at DoH and Michael Oberreiter, Head of Global Access at Roche Pharmaceuticals, the MoU was signed by Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, the Executive Director of the Research and Innovation Centre at DoH and Mohamed Elshaarawy, General Manager Roche Pharmaceuticals, UAE.

Dr. Asma Ibrahim Al Mannaei, Executive Director of the Research and Innovation Center at the at Department of Health – Abu Dhabi said: "Abu Dhabi has a track record of excellence and fast-growing, future-forward, data-enabled services. Serving as a hub for healthcare data, Abu Dhabi's substantial computing power enables it to harness the potential within this data, transforming it into valuable information. This, in turn, allows us to innovate and develop novel approaches to shift healthcare towards prediction, prevention, and treatment, thereby accelerating the future of healthcare, not only for Abu Dhabi but for the global community. Through international collaborations, Abu Dhabi seeks to lead research groups supported by global partners to explore the resilience and sustainability of the healthcare sector worldwide as well as expand access to quality care for patients around the world."

The MoU features two key pillars of collaboration that will benefit patients in Abu Dhabi. Firstly, the two entities will work together to support the evolution of real-world data collection frameworks in Abu Dhabi, and the subsequent potential evidence generation activities that are targeted to monitor rare and priority diseases as assigned by DoH and agreed upon by Roche. Enhancing DoH's ability to track and monitor outcomes of therapies will support DoH in making informed clinical and policy decisions for better optimisation of patient outcomes. Furthermore, DoH and Roche will strengthen the research network across Abu Dhabi and improve accrual for potential clinical trials.

Mohamed Elshaarawy, General Manager Roche Pharmaceuticals,UAE said: "This MoU underscores our collaboration with the DoH which is fuelled by a shared vision of harnessing the power of data to drive informed decision-making within the healthcare system. Data-driven healthcare systems hold immense potential to revolutionise patient care and outcomes. Through the generation, utilisation, and realisation of data, healthcare professionals and policymakers can unlock valuable insights, identify trends, and make evidence-based decisions. This data-driven approach enables us to optimise resource allocation, personalise treatment approaches, and ultimately achieve better patient outcomes. By harnessing the full potential of data, we can improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the healthcare system, ensuring that every patient receives the highest quality of care tailored to their specific needs. We are sincerely grateful for the trust, confidence, and empowerment the DoH has placed in establishing this effective public-private partnership with Roche in the UAE."

Under the MoU, the two entities will advance critical research using real-world data to study and assess the spinal muscular atrophy burden in Abu Dhabi, as well as assessing potential conduction of research and the facilitation of real-world data collection to monitor Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) disease. A key priority will be to support real-world data research and the development of data collection frameworks for the agreed-upon disease areas, to enable DoH to address local and regional health needs, challenges and burdens.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week (ADGHW) is a major government initiative by the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi, which took place from the 13th -15th May 2024. The event seeks to accelerate collaboration, innovation, and investment, and bring together researchers, policymakers, healthcare specialists, investors, and entrepreneurs across the global healthcare and life-science ecosystem.

The Department collaborated with key strategic partners within the healthcare ecosystem, including the event's Foundation Partner M42 and other leading healthcare ecosystem sponsors, PureHealth, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Burjeel Holdings, GSK, Institute for Healthier Living Abu Dhabi (IHLAD), Novartis, Viatris, AstraZeneca, Sanofi, PwC Middle East, and many more to bring the vision of better health to life.

For more information please visit: https://www.adghw.com/