PHRMAG Officials Discuss Industry Trends At AGM

Senior officials of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufactures Association in the Gulf, PHRMAG, welcomed Astellas Pharma, Lundbeck, and Allergan, as the three new member companies of PHRMAG at its annual general meeting held in Dubai recently.

This was a part of the intensifying outreach efforts across the wider GCC region. The meeting also focused on the role of PHRMAG as a partner to patients seeking access to new medicines and vaccines, and to governments in the Gulf aspiring to provide high quality healthcare and build the life sciences and biopharmaceutical sectors.

Senior officials also examined newly emerging data demonstrating the power of new medicines to save and improve lives, while lowering the costs of expensive hospitalisation, surgeries and consultations in the healthcare system.

According to the standards of the World Health Organisation’s Choosing Interventions that are Cost Effective project, new medicines launched in the region were very cost effective overall. In addition, evidence from other countries suggests that new drug launches reduce other medical costs and increase productivity.

During the meeting, officials discussed the global pipeline of promising new medicines and cutting-edge vaccines that could have a dramatic impact on leading illnesses in the region, including cancer, diabetes, cardiac and respiratory diseases.

Mazen Altaruti, the PHRMAG Chairman and Managing Director at MSD, said, "Every day we see the impact of innovation up close. Pharmaceuticals is one sector where innovation has had a major impact on the health and wellness of millions of people by saving and improving countless lives in the region."

Mohamed Ezz, Vice Chairman of PHRMAG and Head of the Novartis Gulf Cluster, said, "At PHRMAG, we are committed to partnering with local health authorities and policy markets to support medical research, and drive better patient outcomes by providing public health and pharmaceutical policies that encourage access to innovative and important medicines."

PHRMAG is an industry-focused organisation that represents the region’s leading innovative biopharmaceutical research companies. It now represents the majority of globally leading companies operating in the region, operating with the underlying aim of delivering value to patients and policymakers.