PHRMAG currently consists of 27 member companies, with ongoing growth. Earlier this year, we proudly announced the formation of our 2024 Executive Committee (EC), spearheaded by Mazen Bachir, PHRMAG Chairman and General Manager of Gulf and Emerging Markets at Abbott, and Sameh El Fangary, PHRMAG Vice-Chair and Country President for GCC and Pakistan at AstraZeneca. Additionally, Ashraf Mallak, Managing Director GCC of MSD, has taken on the role of Treasurer. Joining them are four other distinguished EC members: Ahmed Abu El Fadl, Vice President & General Manager for Merck Serono Gulf, Diederik Kok, Managing Director for Biogen GCC, Mohamed Ezz Eldin, Head Gulf Countries at Novartis, and Pedro Matos Rosa, General Manager for Innovative Medicines at Johnson & Johnson Gulf.

During the Innovation Month activities in February, key PHRMAG leaders: Shahad Mahdi(Secretary General), Joy Khoury (Communications Working Group Lead), and Youssef Mourad (Ethics and Compliance Working Group Lead) highlighted recent advancements and upcoming developments within the industry. They placed a strong emphasis on the significance of collaborative innovation, underscoring its crucial role in shaping a healthier future.

In February, our team met with the Emirates Drug Establishment’s leadership, led by H.E. Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Pharmaceuticals Foundation, and H.E. Dr. Fatima Alkaabi, General Manager of EDE. The discussion highlighted PHRMAG’s alignment with thevision of EDE, emphasizing a strong commitment to private sector inclusion and continuous support for the UAE’s health and life sciences ecosystem.

During the Innovation Month activities in February, key PHRMAG leaders: Shahad Mahdi(Secretary General), Joy Khoury (Communications Working Group Lead), and Youssef Mourad (Ethics and Compliance Working Group Lead) highlighted recent advancements and upcoming developments within the industry. They placed a strong emphasis on the significance of collaborative innovation, underscoring its crucial role in shaping a healthier future.

In April, PHRMAG proudly sponsored the fourth edition of the Middle East Pharmaceutical Risk & Compliance Conference (MEPRC 2024). Risk management and compliance have fast become the lynchpin of sustainable access and improved patient outcomes. Highlighting their importance was just one example of our continued efforts to intensify engagement with the regional industry and the communities it serves.

As we headed further into April, our Healthcare Financing and Insurance Working Group reiterated PHRMAG’s commitment to creating a future where every patient can access the latest medical advancements. Pedro Matos Rosa (PHRMAG’s EC Member and Working Group Mentor), Husam Majali (Working Group Lead), and Dr. Naglaa Nasr (Co-Working Group Lead) emphasized our commitment to partnering with healthcare systems to foster an equitable, collaborative landscape focused on sustainable financing and insurance mechanisms.

As we embarked on the month of May, our IP Policy Working Group further reinforced its dedication to upholding IP practices as one of the pillars of enabling sustainable access to innovative medicine and fostering an pro-innovation environment. On World Intellectual Property Day, Ahmed Abu El Fadl (PHRMAG’s EC member and Working Group Mentor), Rania Ashraf (Working Group Lead), and Reham Anwar (Co-Working Group Lead) took the opportunity to reiterate our steadfast belief that the healthcare sector can be a thriving space for innovation while maintaining the utmost legal integrity. We recognize the significance of safeguarding Intellectual Property rights to protect ideas, but we also strive to foster growth and sustainability, aiming for groundbreaking advancements that enhance treatment outcomes.

In the eventful month of May, PHRMAG and our members participated in Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week 2024, at ADNEC. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, the event gathered healthcare leaders, policymakers, and industry experts from around the world, to discuss innovations and advancements in the healthcare sector.
On the sidelines, PHRMAG’s Executive Committee Member, Mohamed Ezz Eldin had the opportunity to speak to The National, a prominent UAE daily newspaper, shedding light on the flourishing reputation of the UAE as a pharmaceutical hub.
Another noteworthy engagement involved PHRMAG Chairman Mazen Bachir and Vice-Chair Sameh El Fangary, who alongside Mohamed Ezz Eldin, participated in a thought-provoking roundtable discussion co-hosted with the Abu Dhabi Department of Health. The discussion, titled “The Future of Pharma: From the UAE to the World,” emphasized Abu Dhabi’s pivotal role in facilitating sustainable expansion in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector.
Other panels convened by PHRMAG during Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week included “Innovation Enablers: Incentives, Regulatory Policies & IP Rights Protection”, which included input from high-level policymakers, including H.E. Dr. Abdulrahman Hassan Al Muaini, Assistant Undersecretary for IP Rights Sector at the Ministry of Economy; Dr. Fatima Al Kaabi, Director General, Emirates Drug Establishment; Aisha Y. Salem-Howey, IP Attaché, MENA, U.S. Embassy, UAE; Prof. Yendry Ventura, CEO, Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center; Dr Erik Koorneef, Head of Innovation & Research, Purehealth; Elena Bonfigloli, GM Healthcare, Pharma Life Sciences, Microsoft; Ahmad Saleh, Partner, Head of Innovation, Patents & Industrial Property, Al Tamimi & Co; Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Director of Healthcare Quality, Abu Dhabi Department of Health; and Eric Gaudiosi, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy, UAE. The panel highlighted the significant progress the UAE has made in healthcare innovation with a focus on fortifying a knowledge-based economy.

In June, PHRMAG made a significant presence at the highly esteemed BIO International Convention 2024 held in San Diego. During this event, we further strengthened our partnerships by collaborating with the US Chamber of Commerce to co-host a highly engaging roundtable session. This roundtable, titled ‘US-UAE Life Sciences Collaboration:A conversation with the Department of Health Abu Dhabi,’ brought together distinguished delegates from the Department of Health Abu Dhabi and was skilfully led by Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Executive Director of the Research and Innovation Centre at DoH. The session was dedicated to exploring the extraordinary achievements of the emirate in fostering a knowledge-based economy, implementing sustainable practices, andrevolutionizing healthcare through an enhanced regulatory framework.

We have significant work ahead of us, and we firmly believe that collaboration across the ecosystem – between governments, biopharmaceutical companies, care providers, and academia – will continue to strengthen UAE’s position as a global healthcare leader. PHRMAG remains steadfast in its commitment to this vision, fostering partnerships that drive innovation and excellence in the healthcare sector.