The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), represented by HE Dr. Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health and Prevention’s Public Health Policy and Licenses, received a delegation from AstraZeneca, headed by Mr. Leon Wang, the Executive Vice-President, International, to discuss means of enhancing innovation in the pharmaceutical sector and fostering cooperation to develop treatment of chronic diseases, such as asthma, diabetes and heart diseases.
Commenting on the meeting, AstraZeneca expressed its appreciation for MoHAP’s efforts to speed up the drug registration process for the benefit of both the individual and society.
“Nowadays, we are registering our innovative products in the UAE among the first countries worldwide, after being approved by both the FDA and EMA, thanks to the UAE’s legislative and investment environment that help attract the global pharmaceutical companies and register their innovative products,” added AstraZeneca.
In turn, MoHAP emphasized the importance of coming up with innovative ideas that help bolster the strategic partnership in the pharmaceutical sector, with a view to providing the best means of treatment and reinforcing the UAE’s pharmaceutical economics.
On the sidelines of the meeting, AstraZeneca showcased the technical developments of its premises in Wuxi, China, noting that these developments aim to provide more integrated solutions for patients.
MoU with AstraZeneca
The meeting witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with AstraZeneca to provide medication for patients who are unable to afford the treatment of bladder cancer, lung cancer, patients with lymphoma and patients with acute asthma.
The MoU was signed by HE Dr. Amin Hussein Al Amiri, MoHAP, and Mr. Leon Wang, AstraZeneca, in the presence of Dr. Ruqaya Al Bastaki, Director of MoHAP’s Drug Department, Dr. Rita Al Chalouhi, Pharmaceutical Advisor and AstraZeneca delegation.
The agreement would help enable patients to obtain their medicines from AstraZeneca, so as to ensure that they continue to implement their treatment plan according to the schedules set by their doctors.
Enhancing Values of Community Responsibility
Dr. Ruqaya Al Bastaki said that the agreement comes as a part of the Ministry’s program to support the patients, praising AstraZeneca’s initiative that would help enhance community responsibility values for companies.
“This is not the first cooperation between MoHAP and AstraZeneca, which sponsored some of cancer patients the last year within the framework of a previous MoU, through which, the company sponsored a number of cancer patients for a year,” Al Bastaki noted.
She shed light on MoHAP’s keenness on increasing patient support initiatives under its supervision and in association with various institutions that could help enhance services provided for patients and offer high-quality treatment. This comes in line with MoHAP’s strategy to provide comprehensive and innovative healthcare services as per the highest international standards.
For his part, Leon Wang said: “The early provision and easy access of medicines are a distinguished matter in the UAE compared to other countries in the Middle East. This reflects the UAE’s leadership and excellence in the healthcare sector.”
Wang further elaborated: “We are proud to develop a robust partnership with MoHAP, through the transfer of expertise and innovation, as well as through building capabilities and raising patients’ awareness of diseases.”
“This initiative, which includes new and innovative treatment for some types of cancer and respiratory diseases, would help patients, who are under limited medical insurance, to obtain their medicines from AstraZeneca free of charge,” Wang explained.
He added: “We are committed to providing innovative medicines and comprehensive solutions as well. This would pour in the interest of all patients in the UAE, as part of our responsibility as a strategic partner for MoHAP and our joint action to realize the UAE Vision 2021.”