Abu Dhabi's Department of Health and leading biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca have signed an agreement to collaborate on research and development.
The partnership is intended to boost the health sector by focusing on clinical research and addressing local and regional healthcare needs.
With its headquarters in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in more than 100 countries and focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines in oncology, rare diseases and biopharmaceuticals.
The deal was signed by Dr Jamal Mohammed Al Kaabi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health and Dr Pelin Incesu, area vice president for the Middle East and Africa at AstraZeneca, in the presence of Abdulla Bin Mohamed Al Hamed, Chairman of DoH and Patrick Moody, UK Ambassador to the UAE.
“We are pleased to be joining hands with AstraZeneca and are confident in the agreement’s potential to further enhance the quality of healthcare services provided in the emirate," Dr Al Kaabi said.
"In light of the impact of the pandemic and Abu Dhabi’s outstanding response to combat it, we are proud to have established sustainable healthcare systems that serve to support our community.”
By collaborating, DoH and AstraZeneca will gather interest among partners to conduct clinical research in Abu Dhabi, including studies into type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney diseases. The work will also involve extensive observational studies on patients taking AstraZeneca's long-acting antibody (LAAB) combination for Covid-19.
DoH and AstraZeneca will work on a comprehensive healthcare digital application with a view to making all educational and informative details accessible to Abu Dhabi’s patients.
“This strategic partnership will help drive further growth in Abu Dhabi's healthcare sector," said Sameh El Fangary, country president for the GCC & Pakistan at AstraZeneca.
"There is no doubt that innovation in healthcare is transforming how we develop and deliver life-changing medicines.
"Local clinical trials and digital health will, together with the Abu Dhabi authorities, help bring a more patient-centric healthcare ecosystem to the country.”
