Thought-leader summit lauded as a vital effort to tackle Middle East’s rising CVD-associated mortality rates

Acino, a leading provider of high-quality pharmaceutical products and services in the region, recently held a CVD Summit at the Swiss Pavilion, Dubai World Expo 2020, to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and demonstrate the company’s ongoing commitment to delivering world-class treatment options tailored to the needs of patients in local markets.

The event was attended by leading cardiologists from across the country including guest of honour, Consul General of Switzerland to Dubai, His Excellency Frank Eggmann. Dr Andrew Bird, General Manager and Head of Region, Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Acino, delivered a keynote speech about the company’s ongoing commitment to deliver high-quality medicines to the region.

Dr Jean-Luc Eiselé, CEO of the World Heart Federation, gave a talk on the global burden associated with CVD and the initiatives currently being undertaken to reduce the risk of its onset. Professor Dr Abdulla Shehab, Consultant in Interventional Cardiology, and Chief Editor of Emirates Medical Journal, laid out the challenges posed by CVD and gave an overview of its prevalence in the UAE.

“Our goal is to deliver positive impact wherever we operate,” said Dr Andrew Bird. “By bringing together the UAE’s leading experts on cardiovascular disease, we hope to raise awareness and find new approaches to its prevention and treatment. Acino’s efforts are aligned with the vision of the UAE Ministry for Health and Prevention, focused on enhancing access to high-quality essential medicines and strengthening UAE’s position as a regional knowledge hub to advance healthcare.”

The CVD summit is one of the company’s most recent efforts aimed at expanding its regional presence started in July 2021 when Acino partnered with the UAE-based Pharmax for the licensing, manufacturing, and supply of select Acino products across the Middle East and Africa. The summit included the launch of Acino’s first locally manufactured medicine produced under this partnership agreement. The anti-cholesterol drug is used for the prevention and treatment of CVD.

“Cardiovascular disease is an important focus area in the UAE, as the recent increase in the Middle East’s CVD-associated mortality rate is among the highest in the world,” said Professor Dr Abdulla Shehab, Consultant in Interventional Cardiology , Chief Editor of Emirates Medical Journal and Vice President  of Emirates Cardiac Society. “Early prevention and control of dyslipidaemia is critical in reducing the risk of developing CVD, so education of the public and healthcare professionals – such as Acino has arranged here this evening – is vital to our ongoing efforts in the management and control of CVD and its contributing factors.”

“Claiming more than 18 million lives annually, cardiovascular disease is the first cause of death everywhere and unfortunately, the Middle East is no exception. We at the World Heart Federation, advocate for fair access to prevention, treatment and care. Our collaboration with key partners, such as Acino, is crucial if we want to achieve cardiovascular health for everyone,” said Jean-Luc Eiselé, Chief Executive Officer at the World Heart Federation.

Acino is focused on providing access to affordable healthcare in emerging markets across several therapeutic areas including gastroenterology, cardiovascular diseases and pain relief. Earlier this year, the company entered into definitive agreement to be acquired by ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies with a broad portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi’s diversified economy, an effort that will enable its ambitions to accelerate growth and innovation across the pharma value chain.

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