Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, the regulator of the healthcare sector in the emirate, has announced the procurement of AstraZeneca’s AZD7442 medication.
The new medication, which will be distributed to healthcare providers once approved for local use, is specifically designed to prevent severe infection and death in non-vaccinated high-risk patients.
The move is in collaboration with Rafed, the UAE’s primary group purchasing organisation (GPO) for the supply chain of essential medical equipment, a statement said.
It added that the agreement comes in line with the country’s efforts to combat Covid-19, placing the UAE among the first group of countries to receive the antibody medication for immunocompromised patients and cements Abu Dhabi as a regional life science hub.
For AZD7442, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi has worked on establishing a seamless supply chain process via Rafed, which will facilitate the procurement, storage, and distribution of the AstraZeneca medication through the Rafed Distribution Centre, the region’s largest facility specialised in cold-storage.
The availability of AZD7442 in the local market is a primary solution for the healthcare sector in the fight against Covid-19.
Dr Jamal Mohammed Alkaabi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said: “The UAE continues to exhibit unprecedented leadership, with Abu Dhabi at its core, when it comes to a human-centred Covid-19 response.
“The public-private partnership behind AZD7442, the world’s first long-acting antibody with phase III data demonstrating benefit in both prophylaxis and treatment of Covid-19, is yet another example of the UAE’s successful pandemic response thus far.”
He added: “When approved, this medication will help immunocompromised patients who could not receive the vaccine due to medical reasons and limiting autoimmune disorders. The UAE will continue to act as a catalyst for change by leveraging collaborations, both regionally and internationally.”
Rashed Al Qubaisi, CEO of Rafed, said: “AZD7442 brings great hope to patients with various immune disorders that are not able to take the Covid-19 vaccine.”
Sameh El Fangary, GCC and Pakistan country president for AstraZeneca, added: “Today’s signing is a landmark both in the UAE and globally as we step up our fight against Covid-19… This signing demonstrates our commitment to bringing innovative medicines to the UAE and the rest of the GCC, to provide patients with better health outcomes now and in the future.”
Abu Dhabi has previously been ranked as one of the top cities in the world based for its response to Covid-19, according to the London-based analytics consortium, Deep Knowledge Group (DKG).
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