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Merck, a science and technology company, inaugurated its scientific office in the UAE on Monday, in the presence of Dr. Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Under-Secretary for Public Health Policy and Licensing Sector in the Ministry of Health and Prevention, MoHAP, and Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of the Executive Board and the Family Board of E. Merck KG.
The company’s regional hub is located in Central Park Towers, DIFC, and covers the Middle East, Africa and Turkey region.
Coinciding with the company’s 350th anniversary in the science and technology field, where it started with a pharmacy in Darmstadt in 1668, the inauguration was celebrated in the presence of representatives from the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention and Merck employees.
Commenting on the announcement, Dr. Al Amiri said, "The United Arab Emirates continues to attract leading global pharmaceutical companies to run their operations for the region as a result of the country's strong business infrastructure. Merck was the first global company to start the manufacturing of innovative drugs in the UAE and we are pleased with Merck’s continuous commitment towards investing in the UAE and the wider region to cover countries that go beyond the Middle East region.
"The UAE places a high priority on the continuous advancement of its standards of care. As we march towards a healthier nation, our community’s health and happiness remain at the forefront of all our efforts as stated in the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to achieve the best rankings globally in various fields. It is of utmost importance for us to make sure our people have access to the newest treatments, which can greatly improve their quality of life."
Also commenting, Paolo Carli, Head of Middle East, Africa and Turkey, said, "We are delighted to welcome Dr. Al Amiri to our offices as we take this opportunity to reiterate our growing commitment to the country and the wider region. We consider the UAE as a prime market for us given its robust infrastructure and healthcare system. Patients are at the heart of our endeavours and we look forward to working closely with the UAE leadership in the Ministry of Health and Prevention to make sure the community has access to the latest treatments."
The Ministry of Health and Prevention also announced the approval of Merck’s breakthrough medicine the first oral short-course treatment to help patients suffering from multiple sclerosis, MS. MAVENCLAD is a medicine used to treat MS in adults. The new treatment is characterised by 20 days of treatment over two years with a sustained efficacy of up to four years. In this context, Dr. Al Amiri highlighted the wise leadership’s commitment to support excellence in the healthcare sector in general, which made the Ministry of Health and Prevention pay great attention to MS in particular and to patients living with this disease.
"We are thrilled that the Ministry of Health and Prevention has reached this decision, which has enabled rapid patient access to this new medication in the UAE.
"Patients will need to take the medication for only 20 days over 2 years, which is basically 10 treatment days each year, which eases the treatment phase burden. Since the medication is an innovatively simple pill and because the drug has the lowest monitoring burden amongst high efficacy treatments, patients do not need to go to the hospital to take their dose, or frequently visit laboratories for monitoring, which also significantly reduces costs for patients, hospitals and insurance companies. This breakthrough treatment is the closest solution to life without MS," Yasser Tawfik, General Manager of the GCC region at Merck, said.
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