The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi has announced a partnership with Abbott aimed at localising the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and enhancing digital health solutions. This collaboration marks a significant step toward advancing healthcare within the region.

The focus of the partnership will be to localise existing pharmaceutical products and to explore the development of biosimilars, which are biologic medical products highly similar to already approved reference products. This initiative will be supported by efforts to align regulatory frameworks.

In addition, the agreement includes plans for the digitisation of life science product information through the use of electronic leaflets, aligning with the UAE’s digital health strategy. Other components involve the creation of educational programmes and joint evaluations aimed at identifying research and development opportunities, all to support the sustainability of healthcare in the region.