Gulf pharmaceuticals summit gathers 300 specialists to promote regulation and industry growth

DUBAI, 10th April, 2017 (WAM) -- Private sector participation, along with competitive laws and regulations, play an important role in providing world-class healthcare to the UAEs growing population, said Dr. Amin Al Amiri, Assistant Under-Secretary for Public Health Policy and Licenses in the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention.

''A focal point of government policy in the UAE is to expand pharmaceutical production and work closely with drug manufacturers and importers to enhance quality, transparency and customer happiness in line with the development vision of the country," Dr. Amin Al Amiri said in his opening speech at the second GCC Pharma Regulatory Summit in Dubai on Monday.

Nearly 300 specialists from GCC countries are attending the two-day summit organised by Professionals Regulatory Affairs, PRA, to discuss the latest regulatory initiatives in the pharmaceutical industry and their relevance to the region.

The summit, being held from 10th to 11th April, has brought together more than 43 experts, including global pharmaceutical industry leaders as well as those associated with legislation and intellectual property rights, IPR, along with local and regional regulators and pharmaceutical company representatives.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention and Dubai Economy are part of the government entities joining the summit, while the regional pharmaceutical industry is represented by Julphar Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries, Tabuk Saudi Pharmaceutical Company and leading companies, among others. The event provides a valuable forum for industry players to optimise efficiencies and enhance communication with regulators and importers.

Ahmed Naji, Manager of Business Protection section in Dubai Economy, said, "The Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection sector in Dubai Economy focusses on providing a competitive platform for business activity by protecting the rights of traders and supporting them against trademark infringements through combatting commercial fraud and counterfeiting."The Business Awareness section in Dubai Economy seeks to raise awareness among companies on protecting intellectual property and trademarks, Naji added. "We facilitate co-operation between businesses and trademark owners on protecting their respective rights."Dr. Najiba Al Shezawy, CEO of Professionals Regulatory Affairs, said, "We are proud to organise the Gulf Pharma Regulatory Summit for the second year, building on the achievements of the summit held last year. Through the second summit, we seek to reinforce the exchange of knowledge and transfer of expertise among stakeholders at the local and regional levels.""The pharmaceutical market in the UAE and across the GCC is growing rapidly, with plans announced to increase the number of pharmaceutical manufacturing units to 30 by 2020. The strategy will support ongoing efforts in the UAE to improve its global competitiveness in pharmaceuticals," said Dr. Mona Al Moussli, Regulatory Affairs Consultant for the Gulf region.

"The second session of the summit is dedicated to highlighting the most relevant legislation and best practices in the registration, renewal and licensing of products, comparing them with the GCC countries, as well as improvements in entering new and safe drugs in the market," Dr Al Moussli added.