Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi has announced a groundbreaking development in cancer treatment with its innovative CAR T-cell therapy, which has the potential to reduce treatment costs by up to 90%. This advancement is seen as a significant move towards localizing biopharmaceutical industries and solidifying the UAE’s status as a regional hub for cellular therapies and medical innovation.

Dr. Ajlan Al Zaki, the Director of the Centre for Haematology, Oncology and Cellular Therapy at Burjeel Hospital, shared insights on this breakthrough during the Make it in the Emirates forum held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). The therapy entails collecting T-cells from the patient, genetically modifying them in a laboratory to target cancer cells, and then reinfusing them back into the patient’s body.

The forum provided an excellent platform for showcasing the UAE’s ability to manufacture CAR T-cells locally and explore the potential for exporting this technology to both regional and international markets. Dr. Al Zaki emphasized that the hospital’s success in lowering treatment costs by up to 90 percent is unprecedented in the region, enhancing the UAE’s position as a center for advanced therapies and facilitating greater global scientific collaboration.

Dr. Al Zaki, who has held research and clinical roles at renowned institutions like Stanford University and the MD Anderson Cancer Center, expressed his dedication to utilizing his expertise to offer effective and affordable cancer treatments throughout the UAE and beyond. He highlighted the promising recovery rates associated with CAR T-cell therapy, which is a form of personalized medicine typically administered in a single session, marking a paradigm shift in cancer care within the UAE.

This CAR T-cell initiative also underscores the UAE’s capability to localize advanced biotechnologies, empower national talent, and integrate scientific research with precision medicine and personalized therapies. Initially designed for blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma, research is expanding the application of CAR T-cell therapy to solid tumors, including breast, pancreatic, and lung cancers, as well as challenging brain tumors like glioblastoma.

Furthermore, Dr. Al Zaki pointed out the increasing role of artificial intelligence in genomic analysis and molecular target identification, alongside the implementation of advanced gene editing tools like CRISPR to improve cell engineering. He remarked on the UAE’s collaboration with scientific partners and non-profit organizations, such as Caring Cross, to produce these therapies locally, making them more accessible across regional medical centers rather than limiting them to a few global facilities.