Gilead's Vítor Papão on key partnerships and the role of tech in public health

Gulf Business

5 days ago

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From pioneering CAR T-cell therapy access to supporting frontline HIV education, Gilead is aligning its global R&D pipeline with local public health priorities in the Middle East.
Here, we speak to Vítor Papão, GM of Middle East, Russia and Türkiye at Gilead Sciences, about the company's latest partnerships in the UAE, the evolving role of public-private collaboration in healthcare, and how emerging technologies and policy innovation are reshaping patient care across the region.
Tell us about the recent MoUs signed between Gilead Sciences and the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. What is the strategic vision behind these agreements and what they aim to achieve?
These agreements reflect our shared commitment with Abu Dhabi to advancing public health in areas of critical need—particularly virology and advanced cancer therapies such as CAR T-cell treatments.
At their core, the MoUs aim to strengthen local clinical research capabilities, broaden access to next-generation therapies, and accelerate early diagnosis through data-driven approaches. They align seamlessly with Abu Dhabi's ambition to become a regional hub for medical innovation. This is a natural extension of our long-standing collaboration with UAE health authorities, including our partnership with MOHAP on the MAAK Access Program since 2015.
Gilead has been a long-standing advocate for public-private partnerships. How do you see such collaborations accelerating medical research and innovation in the region?
Public-private partnerships are essential to driving progress—particularly in building research infrastructure, enhancing clinical trial readiness, and improving access to innovation. Over the past decade, we've worked closely with hospitals and public health authorities across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait to bring advanced treatments to patients more rapidly.
In Saudi Arabia, for instance, our collaborations with the National Guard, East Jeddah Hospital, and King Faisal Specialist Hospital have significantly expanded research in virology and cell therapy. These partnerships not only accelerate timelines but also establish sustainable platforms for long-term improvements in care delivery.
What role is Abu Dhabi – and the UAE more broadly – playing as a hub for advanced healthcare initiatives and clinical research in Gilead's regional strategy?
The UAE plays an important role in
Our longstanding collaboration with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi has now evolved into a broader partnership with the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC), focused on improving outcomes in blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV. This recent MoU outlines specific areas of cooperation, including public awareness, prevention, and the development of more integrated care pathways.
Among these efforts are Gilead-led initiatives in the UAE aimed at enhancing early diagnosis and follow-up through tailored awareness campaigns and scalable screening solutions.
Abu Dhabi's infrastructure and policy momentum have made it possible to pilot these efforts in a way that informs broader strategies across the region. Rather than simply adopting innovation, the UAE is helping shape new models for how infectious disease care can be delivered — more proactively, equitably, and sustainably.
Elaborate on the types of therapeutic areas or diseases that are being prioritised under these new initiatives.
Our focus remains on areas where scientific innovation meets urgent need – namely, HIV, viral hepatitis, and oncology. In HIV, we've brought 11 antiretroviral therapies to the region, alongside community engagement campaigns like 'Behind the Myths' and 'Ana Faisal' in Saudi Arabia.
In the UAE, we've supported continuing medical education (CME), including a CME-accredited training module on HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for frontline providers, and co-authored a regional call-to-action on integrating PrEP into national frameworks.
Building on this, we hosted the 9th HIV Summit in Dubai earlier this year under the theme 'Life beyond HIV: Your Role, Our Future'.
The event convened over 130 HIV specialists, with two focused workshops — one on managing complex cases and another on screening and linkage to care. These conversations helped define new priorities for advancing HIV treatment and prevention across the region.
Patient perspectives are equally critical. Through our 'Patient Voice' call-to-action, developed in collaboration with community advocates, we're promoting more patient-centered models of care and tackling stigma as a barrier to testing and retention.
On the oncology front, our work with Kite Pharma is driving access to CAR T-cell therapies. In the UAE, we're collaborating with key research institutions to prepare the infrastructure for these cell-based treatments and integrate them into existing oncology and hematology pathways.
In viral hepatitis, we've contributed to regional scientific exchange through programmes which brought together hepatologists and public health experts to share real-world experience, data, and elimination strategies for HBV, HCV, and HDV.
The insights generated through such forums feed into ongoing dialogue with UAE authorities around surveillance, screening, and earlier diagnosis. We've also worked with liver associations on a regional positioning statement for hepatitis delta to support stronger diagnostic protocols and awareness.
Gilead is known globally for pioneering antiviral treatments. How are your global capabilities and R&D pipeline being adapted to meet the specific needs of the Middle East market?
Adapting our global capabilities to the region begins with listening to local needs — where access, education, and system readiness can vary significantly. Gilead has launched over 55 products in the region, while globally we are poised to meet our ambition, set in 2019, to deliver over 10 transformative therapies by 2030. This includes expanding our pipeline in HIV and hepatitis and introducing new treatments in oncology and inflammatory diseases.
Beyond medicines, we invest in awareness and education programmes like 'Ready to be Cured' for HCV, and initiatives such as HIV STAR, which trains physicians across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar to improve diagnosis and early linkage to care. Our goal is to ensure innovation reaches the patients who need it most.
From a policy perspective, what steps do you believe are crucial to further enabling innovation, faster regulatory approvals, and cross-border cooperation in healthcare across the region?
Policy can be the key accelerator or bottleneck in translating innovation into impact. Fragmented regulatory systems remain a major hurdle, even in cases where therapies are already approved elsewhere.
A harmonised approach across the GCC would not only reduce delays but also foster shared infrastructure for clinical trials and real-world data collection.
In parallel, we need to rethink HIV testing policies to better align with lived realities. Earlier this year, we co-convened the HIV Screening and Linkage to Care (SLTC) workshop, bringing together stakeholders from across the Middle East. The session introduced a framework for embedding HIV screening into emergency, antenatal, and pre-marital workflows, while also exploring self-testing and legal reforms to ease consent barriers.
From a system-level view, the SLTC roadmap offers practical next steps: piloting automated testing in emergency departments, distributing at-home testing kits through pharmacies and NGOs, and standardising referral pathways post-diagnosis.
These aren't theoretical exercises — they are grounded, actionable interventions tailored to our region's unique cultural and regulatory contexts. By aligning policy with real-world needs, we can build systems that not only deliver innovation but sustain it.
What role do emerging technologies such as AI, data analytics, and digital health platforms play in Gilead's future vision for the region?
Technology is already transforming how we operate. The 'Ana Faisal' campaign, for example, leveraged AI and digital storytelling to raise awareness around HIV.
Across the region, we're supporting digital health tools for self-testing, treatment adherence, and remote care, especially for people living with chronic conditions.
As governments invest in data infrastructure and electronic health systems, the potential to use real-world evidence to guide care is expanding. For Gilead, it's not about technology for its own sake; it's about using digital tools to enhance reach, enable earlier intervention, and help healthcare systems become more connected and resilient.
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