In a partnership to scale CAR-T cell therapy availability across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently announced plans to reinforce access to cancer treatments in the region by establishing local CAR-T cell manufacturing. The developments, aimed at aggressive cancers, such as some leukaemia and lymphoma, aim to reduce the costs related to the treatment even further.
At the kick-off of Abu Dhabi Global Health Week, Burjeel Holdings — the healthcare arm of the UEM Group—has partnered with the US-based non-profit organization Caring Cross to develop a national plan for local manufacturing of CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell) cell therapeutics in the future.
CAR-T cell therapy is a sophisticated form of immunotherapy that is used to treat some types of cancer, particularly haematological malignancies. The steps of the process include the extraction of T-cells from the patient’s blood. In the lab, these T-cells are genetically engineered to express a custom receptor, called a CAR, that targets the cancer cell. This is what the CAR-T cells are, and they are then cultured and expanded in the lab. Those cells can be reinfused into the patient’s blood, and that is now cells that are out in the body working to identify whatever the unique source of the cancer is and kill them.
Caring Cross, a pharmaceutical and academic partner, will also donate some of its technological know-how and raw materials and provide targeted training to help establish this local manufacturing facility. In recent years, CAR-T therapy, which involves genetically saving a patient’s immune cells to track down and kill cancer cells from their bodies, has had great success against some of the most aggressive blood cancers (leukaemia and lymphoma). It is expected to significantly improve access to and reduce the costs of state-of-the-art (advanced) cancer therapies throughout the region
Expand Access to Quality Cancer Care in the Regions
It is anticipated that this will position these cell and gene therapies next-generation at a regional hub in the UAE. MenaCareAIM uses patient-specific therapies and aims to provide these therapies via local point-of-care production to underserved populations across the MENA region.
Start will target CAR-T for leukaemia and lymphoma — but eventually, others, too, such as HIV.
Dr. Ajlan Al Zaki, Director of Haematology Oncology & Cellular Therapy Center at Burjeel Hospital Abu Dhabi, stated: “It brings us great pleasure to be collaborating with Caring Cross, whose expertise in a fully compliant, scalable CAR-T cell therapy manufacturing technology is one that we strive to leverage further in raising our capability of delivering affordable, life-saving therapies in our communities and beyond. Jamie Heywood, m.D., chief of Strategic initiatives and co-founder of WIRB-Copernicus Group, said, “This partnership is aligned with our mission to accelerate medical innovation and expand access to needed healthcare.
The partnership will focus on training and developing local healthcare professionals to provide CAR-T sustainably and at scale across the MENA region, India , and potentially worldwide.
Addressing the Cost Barrier
Lastly, the cost of CAR-T therapeutics can be highly variable across global markets, often exceeding US$350,000 to over 1 million, becoming a near-insurmountable barrier to a defined patient population with blood-cancer family therapeutic needs.
According to stakeholders, this partnership is intended to address this challenge by manufacturing CAR-Ts on a scale that would radically reduce the cost of treatment, making this kind of treatment much more available to more patients both within and beyond the MENA region.
Caring Cross Executive Director Boro Dropulić said: “We are delighted to partner with Burjeel Holdings, which will provide an important link for MENA patients to access CAR-T cells and other ATMPs between hospitals in their network. This partnership is another sign that we are moving closer to making these transformative treatments accessible and affordable to people around the world.” Our model is a low-hanging fruit in terms of making access more readily available to patients by cultivating sustainability and delivering economic outcomes.
Changing dynamics of the healthcare landscape in UAE
They said, “Health services have been entitled to the main segment for necessary improvements, and we have recently noticed UAE developing rapidly in this sector and better health services for the citizens. The nation that relies on modern medical machines with qualified medical personnel Carrying out CAR-T cell therapies locally is just one of the drivers of the UAE’s emergence as a new healthcare innovation hub in the region.”
Nationally, the promise of novel therapeutics and improved access to healthcare for the populace are all pieces of a much larger strategy to improve the health of the citizenry and ultimately secure a place for the UAE in the international landscape of pace-setting health science.
Good News for the Region
Powered by Samhan, it can change the face of cancer care across the MENA region. Reducing the cost of these CAR-T therapies would open the door to potentially life-saving therapies available to more patients. That’s a step that can lead not just to better results on static blood cancers but also augment a standard of care for the health of the whole region. Doing so also conforms to sustainability and self-sufficient practice for this kind of onsite advanced medical approach.
Other Key Information
Abu Dhabi Global Health Week offers a global platform to advance the dialog, address the actions needed to build the future of healthcare and galvanize discussions that shape policy and practice among regulators and stakeholders around the world.
Burjeel Holdings is one of the UAE private healthcare service providers with hospitals and medical centres.
Caring Cross is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and providing cutting-edge therapies for diseases and underrepresented populations.
Other Key Insights
The MENA region is facing massive healthcare challenges, in particular, the increasing burden of cancer — but also expensive targeted therapies. CAR-T cell therapy is a breakthrough in cancer drugs and holds promise for the treatment of certain aggressive cancers. Furthermore, local production of pharmaceuticals and advanced therapies can also enhance economic development and minimize reliance on imported products. Being ideally located with a rich infrastructure, the UAE can play a focal role in healthcare and medical innovation in the region. Investment in research and development is essential in the field of Cancer Treatment and other health-related areas. Combating global health challenges requires partnerships among healthcare workers, scientists, and international organizations. The output of an appropriate amount of trained personnel is critical; the desired center output cannot be met unless training and education of the healthcare professionals performing the procedure are done in succession with the center.
