The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), a subsidiary of PureHealth, the largest integrated healthcare platform in the Middle East, has entered into a collaborative agreement with global healthcare company Sanofi. The partnership aims to enhance diagnostic performance and accuracy in the field of rare diseases, with a particular focus on expediting the screening process for lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) and reducing the average diagnostic journey for rare disease patients.
Working in collaboration with SEHA, Sanofi will leverage its expertise in disease pathways to expedite the generation and application of clinical knowledge for the accurate diagnosis of patients with lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs), including Gaucher disease, Acid Sphingomyelinase Deficiency (ASMD) disease B and A/B, Pompe disease, Fabry disease, and Mucopolysaccharidosis diseases.
Moreover, Sanofi will offer a comprehensive suite of services to enhance patient access to an early and precise diagnosis. The company will assume the expenses associated with laboratory testing, as well as the packaging, storage, and shipment of samples to accredited send-out laboratories. In addition, Sanofi will provide training to SEHA's healthcare professionals (HCPs) on sample collection procedures and best practices. This will enable SEHA to integrate the testing into their electronic systems, facilitating differential diagnostics panels and early detection of rare conditions.
Rashed Al Qubaisi, Chief Corporate Officer, PureHealth said: “At PureHealth, we are committed to transforming the healthcare landscape in the UAE and beyond, and we are actively exploring development of solutions and treatments for rare diseases. By leveraging our collaborative expertise with Sanofi, we aim to revolutionize diagnostic performance and expedite the screening process for lysosomal storage disorders. Our ultimate goal is to drastically reduce the diagnostic journey for rare disease patients, ensuring timely interventions and improved outcomes. This strategic collaboration reinforces our efforts for providing effective healthcare solutions and empowering individuals and communities to live longer, healthier and fuller lives, in line with our mission to advance longevity and unlock time for humankind."
Saeed Jaber Al Kuwaiti, Group Chief Executive Officer of SEHA said: “As the Emirate of Abu Dhabi reimagines healthcare by embracing digital transformation and a patient-first approach, we recognize that building high-impact alliances with regional and global healthcare innovators is crucial to elevating the standard of care and delivering cutting-edge preventive, diagnostic and treatment options to the people of our nation. Sanofi brings a long history of innovation in rare disease research, and we are very excited to join hands with them in our endeavour to empower the patient community by enabling effective diagnosis and sustainable access to treatment and bring rare disease patients into the mainstream of the public health system.”
Jean-Paul Scheuer, MCO Lead and Specialty Care General Manager said: “The journey to rare disease diagnosis is a long one, given such diseases can be difficult to identify and given the many gaps prevalent in the local diagnostic system. Through our collaboration with SEHA, Sanofi aims to fundamentally transform the rare disease diagnostics landscape in the UAE by removing the barriers and delays in the diagnosis of LSD patients, improving their access to effective treatment and care.
“As a strategic partner to the UAE healthcare sector, we believe we have an important responsibility to understand and address the unmet needs of patients and empower them to live better, fuller lives by pushing the limits of science and innovation. Creating value-generating partnerships is essential to accelerating healthcare innovation and unlocking new possibilities for patients, and we look forward to working closely with SEHA to ease the burden on rare disease patients by supporting them with early diagnosis and better health outcomes.”
Over the past 40 years, Sanofi has developed various therapies for the treatment of numerous rare diseases, empowering patients worldwide by providing sustainable, transformative healthcare options. Among its research endeavors in this field, lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) have remained a cornerstone. Today, Sanofi has one of the largest rare disease pipelines in the industry across multiple diseases and modalities, with seven out of its 78 clinical-stage projects focused on rare diseases, four of which are in phase 3.
According to the UAE Genetics Diseases Association, there are more than 400 genetic diseases present in the UAE, including those that can be fatal such as Pompe disease and Gaucher disease. Working with health authorities in the UAE and across the region, Sanofi today provides its innovations to around 250 rare disease patients in Greater Gulf, in addition to supporting 16 patients through its humanitarian program. The company also leads the way in sponsoring diagnostic solutions – such as genetic, enzymatic, immunogenicity, and biomarker testing – that are presently unavailable in many of the clinical laboratories in the region, funding more than 2,000 samples that were tested in fully accredited laboratories in 2022.
In 2022, Sanofi launched the world-first treatment for Acid Sphingomyelinase Deficiency in the UAE, providing care to patients who had no options to treat their disease, and accelerating innovation in an industry segment where clinical development innovations are extremely uncommon.
Sanofi has also implemented a full-spectrum patient ecosystem that provides 360° support to rare disease patients in the UAE and Greater Gulf – from awareness to diagnosis to access to treatment. Today, Sanofi provides a comprehensive range of services – including home infusion and family screening programs – that help meet the needs of patients while giving them greater control over the management of their condition.
