Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Advances in gene therapy, early disease detection, pharmaceutical manufacturing and specialised medical care came to the fore at the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit, underlining the emirate’s growing role as a hub for healthcare innovation.
Speaking to Aletihad, industry experts highlighted Abu Dhabi’s supportive regulatory framework and innovation-friendly environment, which are helping drive advances in healthcare and medical research.
Prof. Angelo L. Vescovi, Professor of Cell Biology and a Board Member at Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre (ADSCC), highlighted the emirate’s progress in advanced treatments, supported by regulations that enable faster access to innovative therapies while maintaining patient safety.
“We have strict regulations that keep all treatments very safe for patients, but we're also very fast and very flexible,” he said.
He cited successful gene therapy treatments, alongside advances in CAR-T cell therapy and bone marrow transplantation, as important achievements.
Vescovi expressed confidence that ADSCC could become a leading regional centre for advanced therapies within five years.
“Our biggest project is definitely clinical trials for neurodegenerative disorders,” he said, highlighting research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
He revealed that the centre is seeking authorisation for what he described as a potential world-first Phase III clinical trial involving brain stem cell transplantation for ALS, following promising earlier studies.
“The results are very good and promising, and the phase three is needed to confirm that the cells actually really see the therapeutic effect,” he said.
Dr Fokion Sinis, CEO of ADCAN Pharma, a UAE-based pharmaceutical manufacturer, highlighted the importance of manufacturing medicines locally to strengthen healthcare resilience and ensure reliable supplies.
“In order to have supply of medicines, of course, you need to have local manufacturing,” he said.
He explained that the Abu Dhabi-based company specialises in generic medicines and biosimilars, working with international partners to combine global expertise with local production capabilities.
“Our business model is based on partnerships. The global players bring their capabilities, and we are putting in the local manufacturing expertise, regulatory reach, and market access,” he said.
Dr Laila Abdel Wareth, Chief Executive Officer of the Diagnostics Cluster at M42, highlighted a new partnership with UK-based Re:Cognition Health to establish a brain and memory clinic in the UAE, supporting earlier diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s and other conditions affecting brain health.
“Re:Cognition Health really comes with a huge expertise in this field, a huge wealth of clinical trials,” she said.
She explained that the clinic would benefit from advanced imaging and blood tests available through M42, helping doctors identify signs of certain diseases earlier.
Women’s Health
Dr Abdel Wareth identified three major challenges in women’s health: diseases specific to women, conditions that affect women more frequently, and illnesses that present differently in women and men.
“Ovarian cancer remains unfortunately a challenge, and we currently don't have the means to detect this disease early,” she said.
She highlighted a partnership with Exact Sciences involving a blood test intended to identify signs of cancers for which conventional screening options are limited. She also emphasised the importance of recognising differences in heart disease symptoms.
“Men classically present with chest pain if they have any problem with their coronary artery or blood supplies to the heart, but women's presentation could be very different,” she explained.
Abdel Wareth added that M42 is introducing advanced testing to support earlier identification of health risks, while sharing its expertise with Alzheimer’s testing at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
Paediatric Care
Dr Daniel von Allmen, Regional President, Cincinnati Children's Global Health Consultancy, highlighted a partnership with Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) aimed at expanding specialised services and reducing the need for children to travel abroad for treatment.
“The point of this whole relationship is not just to bring physicians in and have them leave, but really to build the capability and the capacity here to care for children here in Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE,” he said.
Launched in April 2025, the collaboration has delivered 36 specialist clinics and treated more than 1,100 patients, while supporting knowledge exchange between medical teams in Abu Dhabi and the US.
“Over the past year, we have done 36 clinics, we've seen more than 1100 patients,” he said.
The partnership is introducing advanced technologies for complex heart and brain procedures, alongside specialised liver and cancer treatments.
Dr Von Allmen also highlighted encouraging progress among four children who underwent complex brain procedures and were monitored for six months.
Further, he said the partnership aims to attract patients from across the GCC and establish Abu Dhabi as a regional destination for advanced children’s healthcare.
“Our goal is to deliver world-class care here in Abu Dhabi, and provide the best care in the region,” he said.
Innovation
Pedro Matos Rosa, Managing Director Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine GULF, highlighted the UAE’s potential to become a global leader in precision medicine, which uses information about individual patients to guide treatment decisions.
“The UAE has a significant opportunity to lead in precision medicine because it brings together national ambition, advanced healthcare infrastructure, investment in research and technology, and a strong culture of cross-sector collaboration,” he said.
Hein van Eck, CEO, Mediclinic Middle East, highlighted the group's investments in specialised healthcare, artificial intelligence (AI) and home-based care to support the UAE's healthcare ambitions.
“We share the ambition to build a healthcare system that is more proactive, connected and centred on patients,” he said.
He pointed to Mediclinic's Dh140 million transformation of Airport Road Hospital in Abu Dhabi into a 275-bed specialist facility, alongside the introduction of AI technology to assist more than 60 doctors with clinical documentation.
“Innovation should strengthen the relationship between clinicians and patients, not replace it,” he emphasised.
At the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit, Mediclinic also showcased its Future Home Experience, exploring how remote monitoring, virtual care and home-based rehabilitation could support patients beyond hospitals.
Highlighting the importance of collaboration, van Eck said: “Success for us is not measured simply by the number of technologies displayed or meetings held, but by whether the discussions lead to solutions that can deliver meaningful value for patients and healthcare professionals.”
