Abu Dhabi, UAE–AstraZeneca and G42 Healthcare have signed a strategic partnership agreement to locally manufacture innovative drugs in Abu Dhabi.
The binding agreement focuses on collaboration in four key areas including localizing innovative industries, research and development, innovation and sustainability at a global scale.
The agreement cements the emirate’s position as a hub for research and innovation in life sciences and is the latest in a series of longstanding partnerships with key players in the pharmaceutical industry.
Also read: UAE medical device market to top $1.52 billion by 2025
The agreement is in line with the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology and the Make it in the Emirates initiative, which was launched by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology to enhance the UAE’s business environment and position as an attractive destination for local and global industrial investors.
It also supports the growth and competitiveness of national industries, innovation and adoption of advanced technologies, and the UAE’s position as a global hub for future industries.
The partnership factors in the Abu Dhabi’s Industrial Strategy in doubling the size of the manufacturing sector by 2031. In its essence, the agreement will expand Abu Dhabi’s footprint in life science research and development as well as enable innovation across all streams of healthcare.
All parties will collaborate closely to boost exports as well as deliver cutting-edge science and activities supporting the provision of life changing medication to patients in the UAE. In line with international best practices, the partnership seeks to develop sustainable solutions for healthcare changes while achieving a balance between economic growth and sustainability.
Also read: SEHA of Abu Dhabi kicks off cervical cancer awareness drive
This agreement is in line with the objectives of “Make it in the Emirates” campaign, as well as the advantages and incentives provided by the UAE to the industrial sector, including a supportive legislative framework, flexible financing solutions, world-class infrastructure, and advanced transportation network.
The incentives are designed to create investment opportunities, strengthen national partnerships with international investors, increase efficiency and enhance the quality of products as well as their global competitiveness.
Commenting on the occasion, Dr. Jamal Mohammed Al Kaabi, Undersecretary at Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said: “The localization and manufacturing of medicine in Abu Dhabi is the real translation of our ‘Made in the UAE campaign – which is a cornerstone for sustainable development across all sectors. As a result of the sectors’ robust growth potential, international appetite and investment opportunities across the biopharmaceutical and healthcare value-chain continue to emerge in Abu Dhabi.”
Sameh ElFangary, Cluster President for GCC and Pakistan at AstraZeneca, said: “AstraZeneca is honoured to be a long-term, trusted partner of the UAE in bringing innovative healthcare locally, and we applaud Abu Dhabi’s ambition to become a regional life sciences hub. We are now taking our comprehensive existing partnership with G42 Healthcare to new heights, accelerating it across local manufacturing, research, innovation and sustainability. I’m confident that this partnership will contribute greatly to advancing a sustainable health ecosystem that enables transforming the patient outcomes.”
The partnership further establishes Abu Dhabi as a powerhouse of medical research and innovation on the international stage. In 2021, the emirate doubled its capabilities to develop scientific and clinical research – more research projects in the year in comparison to the previous five years.
The Department of Health’s Research Registry for Covid-19, established as a unified platform to support global R&D efforts to combat the virus, received more than 376 scientific papers in 2021 and 67 Abu Dhabi facilities were licensed for healthcare research. Today, there are over 400 clinical research trials under way in the Emirate.
Ashish Koshy, Chief Executive Officer of G42 Healthcare said, “This strategic collaboration will accelerate innovation across local manufacturing, and allow us to explore greater possibilities in clinical research, to deliver life-changing treatments to patients in the UAE and across the region. At the core of this partnership is our will to foster sustainable manufacturing capabilities and driving innovation at the global level, as we collectively envision better healthcare for all.”