Saudi Arabia Mostafa Abdelrahman, General Manager of Lilly Saudi Arabia, discusses the company’s evolution from medicine supplier to healthcare partner, supporting Vision 2030 through innovation, public-private collaboration and localisation. He highlights advances in obesity, Alzheimer’s disease and oncology, alongside technology transfer, clinical research and talent development, while outlining priorities to expand patient…
MEA Once regarded as a strategic afterthought by international biopharma, the Middle East has undergone a profound transformation in recent years, emerging as an early adopter of next-generation therapies for rare diseases. Regional regulatory authorities are accelerating approval timelines, reflecting an aggressive institutional ambition to secure speedy access to cutting-edge medical…
MEA A quarter-century after the Human Genome Project revolutionized biology, genomic sequencing has matured from an ambitious scientific frontier into an indispensable clinical reality. Today, molecular insights routinely guide everything from targeted oncology to rare disease diagnostics. Yet, this genomic revolution harbours a profound systemic bias: nearly 90 percent of all…
MEA Long regarded as a clinical trials backwater, the Middle East has experienced a tremendous surge in clinical research over the past five years. This boom is fuelled by a global demand for representational equity and an urgent need to correct a stark imbalance, as Middle Eastern populations currently account for…
MEA After years of foundational investment in genomics, population screening, and rare disease diagnostics, Gulf nations are entering a transformative era: the delivery of advanced therapeutics. The cell and gene therapy (CGT) landscape within the GCC has fundamentally shifted from importing foreign cures to establishing localized, highly sophisticated manufacturing and clinical…
UAE It takes a great deal to become number one in a field, but the harder challenge is staying there Joe Henein, CEO of Dubai-headquartered NewBridge Pharmaceuticals, has built one of MENA’s most distinctive specialty pharma platforms over the past 15 years. With over 300 people across MENA, a pan-regional footprint…
GCC Healthcare transformation across the GCC is entering a new phase, driven by major investments in precision medicine, genomics, and healthcare system modernisation, with countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE positioning themselves at the forefront of global healthcare innovation. Against this backdrop, Bristol Myers Squibb is expanding its role…
MEA Hisham Hagar is the executive country manager for Vertex Pharmaceuticals across the Gulf Cooperation Council, leading efforts to expand access to genetic therapies and strengthen healthcare partnerships in the region. With over two decades of experience in the Middle East, he oversees the company’s Riyadh Gulf regional headquarters and discusses…
MEA The Middle East contains one of the world’s strongest concentrations of expertise in the rare blood disorder thalassaemia. The story starts with the high prevalence of this disease in the region – thalassaemia affects roughly one in 100,000 people globally but reaches up to ten percent of the population in…
Qatar Dr Tawfeg Ben-Omran, Division Chief of Genetic and Genomic Medicine at Sidra Medicine, discusses Qatar’s pioneering advancements in rare disease treatment. He explains how whole genome sequencing and expanded newborn screening drastically reduce diagnostic delays and how breakthrough gene therapies are transforming previously fatal paediatric genetic disorders into proactively treatable…
Qatar Sidra Medicine is building a vertically integrated academic medical centre where clinical care, research, and education operate as a single system to accelerate precision medicine, particularly in rare and complex paediatric diseases. In this interview, Professor Khalid Fakhro explains how the institution leverages national-scale patient cohorts, genomics infrastructure, and global…
MEA A new generation of biotechnology companies is beginning to rethink the foundations of drug discovery. At the intersection of population genomics, biomarker-driven trials, and artificial intelligence, Halia Therapeutics is exploring a different approach: studying the biological mechanisms that allow certain individuals to remain healthy despite strong genetic risk factors. In…
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