Latest news with #CaringCross
CairoScene
14-05-2025
- Health
- CairoScene
Advanced Cancer Therapy to Be Produced in UAE at 90% Lower Cost
CAR-T cancer therapy—one of the world's most expensive treatments—will soon be produced locally in the UAE at a fraction of the price. Apr 20, 2025 In a major healthcare breakthrough, the UAE is set to manufacture CAR-T cell therapies locally, cutting treatment costs by up to 90% compared to international prices. The initiative, announced during Abu Dhabi Global Health Week, results from a partnership between Burjeel Holdings and US-based non-profit Caring Cross. CAR-T therapy is a next-generation immunotherapy that reprograms a patient's immune cells to target and destroy cancer cells, primarily used to treat aggressive blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. With current global treatment prices ranging from USD 350,000 to over USD 1 million, access has remained limited across the MENA region. This new initiative will establish a local manufacturing ecosystem, with Caring Cross supplying the technology, raw materials, and training needed to support point-of-care production. The first phase focuses on leukemia and lymphoma, with plans to expand into treatments for other diseases, including HIV. The partnership aims to position the UAE as a regional hub for advanced cell and gene therapies, enhancing access to life-saving treatments and supporting healthcare sustainability across underserved populations in MENA and beyond.
Khaleej Times
21-04-2025
- Health
- Khaleej Times
UAE doctor who went viral for brave stance during Covid returns after 20 years
An Emirati oncologist who went viral in 2020 for deciding to stay in the US to treat Covid patients and not leave has returned to his homeland after 20 years of living abroad. And he has two key missions: Reduce the cost of one of the most expensive cancer treatments and remove misconceptions around the scary 'C word. ' The first thing Dr Ajlan Al Zaki noticed in his patients here in the UAE was an instilled fear of cancer. 'It's okay to say the C word. A lot of patients come in and they hear the word cancer and that brings in fear. There are concerns, and understandably so. They just want to make sure that they're okay. That sort of awareness needs to be spread out where cancer is not necessarily a bad word,' he told Khaleej Times. Another thing he noticed in patients here was how everything was taken at face value. 'We tend to use Dr Google or AI,' Al Zaki said. 'I need to tell my patients don't believe everything you read online. Please don't do it. You can Google a little bit, but don't believe everything you read online.' Dr Al Zaki, a triple board-certified haematologist and oncologist previously based out of the US, went viral during the beginning of the Covid pandemic in 2020 after the UAE government called on its citizens abroad to return home, but he decided not to leave and to stay in order to perform his duty as a doctor and treat infected patients. Currently, he is director of Burjeel Haematology Oncology and Cellular Therapy Centre and a specialist in CAR-T cell and Advanced immunotherapies. 'The UAE has supported me during this whole time. I was going through my personal journey of developing experience and getting that experience where I felt like I would be comfortable enough to bring everything back,' Al Zaki said. More affordable CAR-T cell therapy Today, the haematologist-oncologist is continuing his path of helping cancer patients by reducing the costs of one of the most personalised and expensive cancer treatments–chimeric antigen receptor CAR-T cell therapy. This type of treatment involves genetically engineering a patient's T-cells and training them to recognise a specific marker on a cancer cell and then fighting those off once given back to the patient. Because this treatment is so personalised, the costs of treatment are significantly higher. One single infusion could cost a whopping $1 million. During the first day of the Abu Dhabi Global Health Week event, which ran from April15-17, Burjeel Holdings announced its partnership with Caring Cross, a US-based non-profit, to reduce the costs of CAR T cell therapy treatment by up to 90% compared to international costs. 'It could be up to 90%, where that bar is going to be in the UAE, we don't know. But I know for sure that we can provide it at a lower cost than what's commercially approved,' Al Zaki said. Al Zaki explained that the reason why costs may be reduced by that much is due to the technology offered by Caring Cross to locally manufacture the cells. 'When you're making the CAR-T cells, when you're programming the CAR-T cells, think of it as downloading software on your iPhone. So, you have your iPhone, which is your T cells, and you want to upgrade your iPhone, you have to download software,' he said. Al Zaki continued: 'It's the software sometimes which can be really expensive. And so, what Caring Cross does is they make the software, and they provide it at a significantly reduced cost. And we use that software to then upgrade the T cells.' 'I want people to have access to these kinds of therapies anywhere in the world. That's why we went into medicine,' he said. From engineering to medicine After starting his academic journey as a chemical engineer, Al Zaki came across a professor who suggested that he tries to do some research. At the time, Al Zaki had plans to work for one of the oil companies in the UAE. However, that eye-opening conversation prompted him to switch course and turn to research as a career path. 'The idea of cancer always intrigued me at that time. How do we diagnose it? How do we treat it? What are new ways that we are using to prevent it from occurring in the beginning?' he said. Six years and a PhD in research later, Al Zaki decided that medicine was his true calling and pursued medical school. In 2012, when his grandfather was diagnosed with late-stage cancer, Al Zaki grew inspired to help people when they are at their worst, whether it be medical or emotional support. He said that despite the condition his grandfather was in, he knew how important it was to just be present. 'I read once that sometimes the best therapy that you can give to a patient that's not administered by way of mouth or way of the vein, is really through the way of the ear. Sometimes [words of comfort are] the strongest therapy you can give to someone.'
Web Release
16-04-2025
- Business
- Web Release
Burjeel Holdings to Revolutionize Cancer Care in MENA with 90% Cheaper CAR-T Therapy
By Editor_wr On Apr 16, 2025 In a groundbreaking move set to transform cancer treatment access across MENA, Burjeel Holdings has partnered with U.S.-based non-profit Caring Cross to locally manufacture CAR-T cell therapies at up to 90% less than current international costs. Caring Cross will support Burjeel Holdings with the necessary technology, materials, and specialized training to establish a local ecosystem for manufacturing CAR-T therapies, as well as providing lentiviral vectors essential for clinical development. The collaboration was announced at Abu Dhabi Global Health Week in the presence of Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Founder and Chairman of Burjeel Holdings. CAR-T therapies, which reprogram a patient's immune cells to attack cancer cells, have shown remarkable success in treating certain blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. However, with costs ranging from US$350,000 to over $1 million in global markets, access remains severely restricted. The partnership seeks to dismantle this barrier by enabling the production of CAR-T therapies at a fraction of the current price, making these treatments accessible to a vastly broader patient population in MENA and beyond. Enhancing Access to Life-Saving Cancer Care The collaboration will position Burjeel Holdings as a regional hub for advanced cell and gene therapies. By enabling local, point-of-care production of patient-specific therapies, the initiative will expand the reach of these therapies to underserved populations across the MENA region. The first phase of the program will focus on CAR-T therapies for leukemia and lymphoma, with plans to explore treatments for other diseases, including HIV, in the future. 'We are honored to partner with Caring Cross, whose expertise in CAR-T cell therapy production technology will enable us to provide affordable, life-saving treatments to our communities and beyond. This partnership is a pivotal step in our commitment to advancing medical innovation and expanding access to critical healthcare services,' said John Sunil, Group CEO of Burjeel Holdings. 'We are excited to partner with Burjeel Holdings to improve access to CAR-T cell and other ATMPs for patients across their hospital networks in the MENA region,' said Boro Dropuli?, Executive Director of Caring Cross. 'This collaboration advances our mission to make these groundbreaking treatments accessible and affordable around the world. By combining our innovative technologies with Burjeel Holdings hospital network and infrastructure, we intend to significantly improve patient access with a sustainable and cost-effective model.' Building Local Capabilities and Expanding Impact This initiative reflects Burjeel Holdings' broader mission to expand access to high-quality healthcare in regions that need it most. The partnership will focus on training and developing local healthcare providers, ensuring the sustainable and scalable delivery of CAR-T therapies across MENA, India, and globally. 'Our collaboration is operating at the cutting edge of medical innovation, opening doors to biological therapies not just in MENA, but also in emerging markets like India and other parts of Asia. This is a monumental stride in enhancing access to cancer treatments and addressing the escalating need for advanced healthcare globally,' said Dr. Ajlan Al Zaki, Director of the Hematology Oncology & Cellular Therapy Center at Burjeel Hospital Abu Dhabi. This partnership reinforces Burjeel Holdings' commitment to transforming the healthcare landscape in MENA and beyond, offering hope and tangible solutions to millions of patients who previously lacked access to life-saving treatments. Prev Post Salik To Launch Automatic Parking At 18 Dubai Locations Comments are closed.
Al Bawaba
16-04-2025
- Business
- Al Bawaba
Burjeel Holdings to Revolutionize Cancer Care in MENA with 90% Cheaper CAR-T Therapy
In a groundbreaking move set to transform cancer treatment access across MENA, Burjeel Holdings has partnered with U.S.-based non-profit Caring Cross to locally manufacture CAR-T cell therapies at up to 90% less than current international costs. Caring Cross will support Burjeel Holdings with the necessary technology, materials, and specialized training to establish a local ecosystem for manufacturing CAR-T therapies, as well as providing lentiviral vectors essential for clinical development. The collaboration was announced at Abu Dhabi Global Health Week in the presence of Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Founder and Chairman of Burjeel Holdings. CAR-T therapies, which reprogram a patient's immune cells to attack cancer cells, have shown remarkable success in treating certain blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. However, with costs ranging from US$350,000 to over $1 million in global markets, access remains severely restricted. The partnership seeks to dismantle this barrier by enabling the production of CAR-T therapies at a fraction of the current price, making these treatments accessible to a vastly broader patient population in MENA and beyond. Enhancing Access to Life-Saving Cancer CareThe collaboration will position Burjeel Holdings as a regional hub for advanced cell and gene therapies. By enabling local, point-of-care production of patient-specific therapies, the initiative will expand the reach of these therapies to underserved populations across the MENA region. The first phase of the program will focus on CAR-T therapies for leukemia and lymphoma, with plans to explore treatments for other diseases, including HIV, in the future. 'We are honored to partner with Caring Cross, whose expertise in CAR-T cell therapy production technology will enable us to provide affordable, life-saving treatments to our communities and beyond. This partnership is a pivotal step in our commitment to advancing medical innovation and expanding access to critical healthcare services,' said John Sunil, Group CEO of Burjeel Holdings. 'We are excited to partner with Burjeel Holdings to improve access to CAR-T cell and other ATMPs for patients across their hospital networks in the MENA region,' said Boro Dropulić, Executive Director of Caring Cross. 'This collaboration advances our mission to make these groundbreaking treatments accessible and affordable around the world. By combining our innovative technologies with Burjeel Holdings hospital network and infrastructure, we intend to significantly improve patient access with a sustainable and cost-effective model.' Building Local Capabilities and Expanding Impact This initiative reflects Burjeel Holdings' broader mission to expand access to high-quality healthcare in regions that need it most. The partnership will focus on training and developing local healthcare providers, ensuring the sustainable and scalable delivery of CAR-T therapies across MENA, India, and globally. 'Our collaboration is operating at the cutting edge of medical innovation, opening doors to biological therapies not just in MENA, but also in emerging markets like India and other parts of Asia. This is a monumental stride in enhancing access to cancer treatments and addressing the escalating need for advanced healthcare globally,' said Dr. Ajlan Al Zaki, Director of the Hematology Oncology & Cellular Therapy Center at Burjeel Hospital Abu Dhabi. This partnership reinforces Burjeel Holdings' commitment to transforming the healthcare landscape in MENA and beyond, offering hope and tangible solutions to millions of patients who previously lacked access to life-saving treatments. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
The National
15-04-2025
- Health
- The National
Abu Dhabi fighting cancer with new hi-tech facility and 90% cheaper treatment
Abu Dhabi is set to play host to the Middle East's first heavy ion cancer therapy facility, of which only 15 exist in the world, while locally manufactured cell antigen treatments could cut costs by up to 90 per cent. Carbon ion therapy is an advanced form of radiotherapy that delivers high-energy particles with exceptional precision, offering new hope to patients with tumours that do not respond to conventional treatments. The technology is known for its ability to minimise damage to healthy tissue while aggressively targeting cancer cells. Construction of the facility, which will be located at the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Centre at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, is expected to begin in 2026. It will be the only one within a five-hour flight from the emirate when it opens, according to Hassan Al Nowais, managing director of M42, one of the health companies at the heart of the project. Local manufacturing and training, meanwhile, to carry out chimeric antigen receptor (Car) T-cell therapy is set to cut treatment costs by up to 90 per cent, according to Burjeel Holdings, who announced a partnership with US-based non-profit Caring Cross at Abu Dhabi Global Health Week on Tuesday. Car T-cell therapy is a type of immunotherapy that collects a patient's blood, isolates their T-cells – specialised immune cells – modifies them in a lab so they can recognise and attack cancer, and then reinfuses them back into the patient, essentially reprogramming the immune system to become a personalised weapon against cancer. It is currently one of the most expensive forms of cancer treatment available – the cost of one treatment cycle in the US can exceed $1.5 million. The heavy ion cancer therapy facility will be made possible through a partnership between M42, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, and Japan's Toshiba Energy Systems and Solutions. 'It's definitely something transformational for Abu Dhabi. It's a project I've been working on for at least the last seven years,' Mr Al Nowais told The National. 'Only 15 of these devices exist globally, mainly in Japan, Korea and Germany, and this will be the only one within a five-hour flight from Abu Dhabi. It will bring the best treatments to our patients here and will begin to attract patients from across the region. It will save lives, especially for those where traditional therapies no longer work.' Dr Stephen Grobmyer, director of the oncology institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, said heavy ion therapy is a powerful form of radiation that uses charged particles to deliver significantly more energy to tumours than traditional radiotherapy. 'In some cancers, like specific types of lung cancer, a single session [of heavy ion therapy] may replace weeks of treatment. It allows us to treat patients who previously had no hope from radiation at all.' Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has already started specialised training for the medical, technical and engineering teams who will run the facility. The hospital has also signed agreements with Japan's Quantum Science and Technology Hospital, and additional agreements with other leading Japanese institutions are expected in the coming weeks. On Car T-cell therapies, Burjeel Holdings will work with Caring Cross to bring the necessary technology, materials, and specialised training to Abu Dhabi for manufacturing. It is hoped doing this locally will slash costs dramatically, by up to 90 per cent. The treatment has shown remarkable success in the fight against blood cancers like leukaemia and lymphoma. The first phase of the programme will focus on Car T-cell therapies for these two forms of blood cancer, with plans to explore treatments for other diseases, including HIV, in the future. 'This is a monumental stride in enhancing access to cancer treatments and addressing the escalating need for advanced health care globally,' said Dr Ajlan Al Zaki, director of the hematology oncology and cellular therapy centre at Burjeel Hospital Abu Dhabi. In a previous interview with The National, Dr Al Zaki, who is the first and only Emirati doctor to specialise in cellular cancer therapy, said more widespread access to Car T-cell therapy is "the dream" as it could one day be offered to all before chemotherapy. Rather than shipping patient cells abroad for processing, Dr Al Zaki hopes to set up a lab in the UAE to perform the entire process domestically. In 2023, Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Centre (ADSCC), a subsidiary of Pure Health, successfully manufactured the UAE's first Car T-cells to treat an 11-year-old boy with leukaemia. 'It would be exciting to bring down the cost of Car T-cell therapy … or a collaborative opportunity in the UAE would be something very beneficial," he said. "The technology is out there, the knowledge is out there. If we do the programming ourselves, you already cut down the cost by several hundreds of thousands of dollars.' While Car T-cell therapy is currently used to treat blood cancers, researchers including Dr Zaki are exploring ways to expand its reach to solid tumours. He also wants to see the UAE become a centre for clinical trials and specialised expertise.
