Experts in pharmaceutical and biotech industries focused on the benefits and advantages of strategic partnerships for Qatar’s precision health goals during a recent discussion as Qatar Precision Health Institute (QPHI), a national centre for research and implementation, officially launched recently under Qatar Foundation.

They considered the unique aspects of the regional research environment and investment landscape, focusing on Qatar as a hub for attracting the international life sciences industries to invest in precision health research.

With a focus on strategic partnerships and meaningful collaborations, QPHI aims to address the evolving healthcare needs of Qatar while contributing to global efforts to advance precision healthcare. It is set to shape the future of healthcare in Qatar and the region through the implementation of precision diagnosis and treatments, paving the way for a healthier and more resilient future.

Speaking on the topic "Building Partnerships with Pharma and Biotech in the Middle East," the experts explored the opportunities and challenges of fostering impactful research collaborations in precision health. Industry experts, representing companies at the forefront of genomics and precision medicine, included Dr Fahmi Satour, medical head, Gulf Countries, Roche; Dr Rana Lonnen, managing director, Novartis Venture Capital; Dr Ann Aerts, head of the Novartis Foundation; and Dr Mohamed Adel Ghanem, head of Healthcare Investments at Qatar Investment Authority. The session was moderated by Dr Eleni Fthenou, scientist at QPHI’s Qatar Biobank.

Highlighting the importance of precision health and its ongoing development in Qatar, Dr Ghanem said: “Precision health is the right way to do healthcare and Qatar has been leading the way here with institutions like the Qatar Biobank and the Qatar Genome Programme. We are focusing on the right infrastructure and with the support and efforts of global pharma players, we can help not only the region, but the world.”

Dr Aerts underscored the importance of access to medical data and advanced technological resources and capitalising on them to shift from traditional methods of healthcare. We need to do things differently, shift our mindset, and focus on being predictive, preventive, and proactive with our approach to healthcare. We must capitalize on this huge amount of data, massive computational power, and advanced computational technologies to help us shift from a reactive to a proactive approach to build preventive health systems.”

The session also prioritised actionable insights for building and sustaining partnerships, including the collaborative role of venture capital investments in biomedical innovation and novel therapies.

According to Dr Lonnen precision medicine is a top priority for every corporate investor in pharma. She also stressed the importance of collaboration and insisted that trust is an important part of any partnership.

The panelists also touched on the mutual benefits and “win-wins” of partnerships in boosting the capabilities of both the biotech industry and the region’s healthcare institutes beyond clinical research and data access, especially to translate research discoveries into clinical settings.

Dr Fahmi added: “The pharma industry can bring global reach, cutting edge technology, new ways of working, and agility. Whereas institutions like hospitals can help with their infrastructure and local reach and exposure. This is a win-win for all of us and also a win-win for patients."