Abu Dhabi and Pfizer join forces in landmark agreement
The Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DoH) has announced a collaboration with the biopharmaceutical company Pfizer - one of the companies that has developed one of the vaccines against COVID-19 - in a historic agreement to provide the country's clinical researchers and scientists with the necessary studies and experience to carry out their work. For the first few years, 150 of these will be chosen to receive these benefits, but it is expected that by 2050, the number will increase to 500 of them.
Pfizer will support this health department with a programme of studies that will equip professionals with the tools they need to advance in the early stages of medicines development and clinical trials. This will greatly support Emiratis specialising in this area of healthcare to improve medical processes and research efforts. Participants will have access to the necessary artificial intelligence technologies and tools that will enable them to accelerate the drug discovery process.
Announcing the news, Dr Jamal al-Kaabi, undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Department of Health, said: "We are excited about our collaboration with Pfizer, which focuses on conducting safe and efficient clinical trials in this early stage based on international guidelines and improvements in global practices. We do this by providing a legislative environment that attracts and motivates research and innovation in healthcare, enhancing the means of cooperation that links Abu Dhabi with global partners, so we continue to implement promising clinical trials and research projects."
In addition, the department aims to make the Emirati city an example of modernity in the healthcare field with these projects, at the same time aiming to put the spotlight on healthcare in the Emirates. "DoH is committed to positioning Abu Dhabi as an incubator for innovation in the field of life sciences and as a leading healthcare destination in the world," said the doctor.
On behalf of the US drug company, Lindsey Dietschi, a senior Pfizer official, said she had good things to say about Abu Dhabi and the healthcare system available to the people there, saying she believes it is a very robust and stable structure that encourages innovation in research and development in all areas of healthcare. "We believe in the vision of Abu Dhabi, which aims to provide more medical advances and tries to ensure healthier and safer communities," Dietschi said.
The decision to choose a city in the United Arab Emirates comes as no surprise from the pharmaceutical company. The nation has one of the most successful coronavirus vaccination campaigns in the world, as since the beginning of the pandemic, the country has used its time and hastened to provide vaccines to all its inhabitants. To date, 100% of the population has received at least the first dose of inoculation. The latest figures show that, as of November this year, more than 90% of Emiratis have received the full course of the vaccine.
The UAE has gone all out against the virus, and Pfizer is not the only vaccine company with which the Gulf state is collaborating. Last month, the nation reportedly acquired a new drug called AZD7442, developed by AstraZeneca, another manufacturer of COVID-19 inoculations. The drug is a new innovation for fighting virus-related infections in high-risk patients, as well as providing them with the antibodies needed to overcome the disease safely.
The rate of infection with the virus in the UAE is quite low compared to other countries in the world. The nation has 744,890 infected people. Since the start of the pandemic, only 2,154 people have died from the coronavirus.