CAR T-cell therapy cuts cancer treatment cost by 90%: Burjeel

Zawya

22-05-2025

ABU DHABI -- Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi has announced a major medical breakthrough with the development of an innovative CAR T-cell therapy for blood cancers, which could reduce treatment costs by up to 90 percent.
This advancement marks a significant step towards localising biopharmaceutical industries, reinforcing the UAE's position as a regional hub for cellular therapies and medical innovation, while also enhancing healthcare and economic security.
Speaking to Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the Make it in the Emirates forum at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Dr. Ajlan Al Zaki, Director of the Centre for Haematology, Oncology and Cellular Therapy at Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi, described the event as an ideal platform to introduce this advanced treatment. The therapy involves collecting T-cells from the patient, genetically modifying them in a laboratory to recognise and attack cancer cells, then reinfusing them into the patient's body.
Al Zaki said the forum offers a strategic opportunity to showcase the UAE's capabilities in locally manufacturing CAR T-cells and exploring export potential for this technology to regional and international markets. He noted that this approach exemplifies the integration of science and biotechnology, supporting the knowledge economy and building a sustainable healthcare ecosystem.
He highlighted that the hospital's success in reducing treatment costs by up to 90 percent is unprecedented in the region and strengthens the UAE's standing as a regional centre for advanced therapies. The achievement also paves the way for greater global scientific collaboration and reflects the country's significant progress in the medical field.
Al Zaki, who previously held research and clinical roles at Stanford University and the MD Anderson Cancer Center, expressed his commitment to leveraging his expertise to provide effective and affordable cancer treatments across the UAE and the wider region, while raising awareness of CAR T-cell therapy for difficult-to-treat blood cancers.
He explained that CAR T-cell therapy is a form of personalised, precision medicine usually administered in a single session, with promising recovery rates. This represents a paradigm shift in the future of cancer care in the UAE and strengthens Abu Dhabi's role as a regional centre for clinical research and cancer treatment innovation.
The CAR T-cell initiative, he added, demonstrates the UAE's capacity to localise advanced biotechnologies, empower national talent, and bridge scientific research with precision medicine and personalised therapies.
While the treatment was initially designed for blood cancers such as leukaemia and lymphoma, research is expanding its application to solid tumours, including breast, pancreatic and lung cancers, as well as complex brain tumours like glioblastoma and metastatic cancers resistant to conventional therapies.
Al Zaki also emphasised the growing role of artificial intelligence in genomic analysis and precise molecular target identification, along with the use of cutting-edge gene editing tools like CRISPR to enhance cell engineering.
He pointed to the UAE's collaborative efforts with scientific partners and non-profit institutions such as Caring Cross to manufacture these therapies locally, helping to make them more widely accessible across regional medical centres, rather than limited to a handful of global facilities.