RIYADH: Having recently officially licensed its regional headquarters, Sanofi is keen to expand its activities in Saudi Arabia, said Niween Al, the multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company’s general manager for generic drugs in the Kingdom and Gulf countries. Khauri said.
“This is an important step as we reinforce our commitment to Saudi Vision 2030 as a strategic partner,” he told Arab News in an exclusive interview.
According to Al-Khoury, with its new regional headquarters in Riyadh, Sanofi will also be able to improve collaboration with local partners, bring additional investment into the country and better capitalize on emerging opportunities created by the ongoing healthcare transformation in the country Will be
“Ultimately, this will allow us to be closer to our patients and customers and meet their needs faster and more efficiently, helping to improve the quality of life for people and communities across the state,” she said .
Nurturing Saudi talent
With a rich history of over 50 years, Sanofi has a long standing presence in the Kingdom. Today, it has more than 380 employees in Saudi Arabia, of whom 207 are Saudis.
Al-Khoury said, “We have been steadfast in our support of Vision 2030, which prioritizes nurturing Saudi talent.” “More than 50 percent of our employees are Saudis in various functions. We are also planning a strategy to increase Saudization in the company over the next three years.
In addition, Sanofi offers a variety of educational and training programs for local health practitioners.
“These programs effectively raise awareness of the latest treatments and techniques in diabetes management, which can help reduce diabetes cases in the region,” Al-Khoury explained.
Over the past five years, Sanofi has delivered educational programs to thousands of health professionals in the region – many of whom are talented Saudis. Additionally, it has set up several strategic projects to empower pharmacy students and graduates.
“Foremost among these is STEP Academy, which launched in 2018. It includes summer training and placement in collaboration with King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, King Saud University and Princess Naurah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh,” Al-Khoury explained . “To date, we have trained over 250 male and female students.”
diabetes management
Saudi Arabia ranks among the top 20 countries worldwide for the prevalence of diabetes. There are an estimated 4.2 million diabetics in the country, of whom about 1.8 million are undiagnosed. Given these alarming numbers, there is an urgent need for a holistic approach to diabetes management.
Sanofi addresses this by providing personalized care through innovative medicines, digital solutions, education and collaboration through influential partnerships.
Al-Khoury added, “Sanofi’s innovative offerings, including therapies and digital solutions, have a favorable safety profile, HbA1c-lowering properties, as well as reducing weight gain to help patients effectively manage their condition.” The risk is very low.”
He added that Sanofi’s ambition is to become the leading digital healthcare platform for patients, providers and researchers, combining innovative therapeutic options with smart solutions to make life easier for patients who use insulin.
Among its notable collaborations, Sanofi signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Ministry of Health and the Saudi Health Council to adopt a comprehensive diabetes management program, which also includes diabetes education for primary health centres.
Sanofi works with its partners, the Saudi Ministry of Health and the Saudi Health Council, to provide a range of educational and training programs for healthcare providers.
“In 2022, we help train more than 1,000 primary care physicians in the kingdom to support patients living with diabetes,” Al-Khoury explained.
Through its scientific research and continuing medical education programs, Sanofi drives innovation, improves access to quality healthcare, advances the practice of medicine and builds sustainable healthcare for society.
Since 2020, Sanofi launched three real-world evidence studies in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region and analyzed datasets of nearly 1,000 subjects. These generate valuable insights into actual clinical practice and better understanding of patient pathways.
“The results of these studies are expected to be published in international scientific journals and conferences,” Al-Khoury said. “We are also preparing a new RWE study, which is expected to start in Saudi Arabia in 2023.”
individual patient care
He pointed out that there is a huge demand for personalized patient care for patients suffering from diabetes. Therefore, Sanofi is working closely with healthcare professionals to provide patients with the best possible care through its therapeutic options, smart devices and services.
Sanofi uses a broad portfolio of digital and personalized technology to deliver better outcomes for people living with diabetes in the Kingdom.
According to Al-Khoury, raising awareness and improving access to the new standards of care is also important as are providing educational and training programs for health practitioners, physicians as well as pharmacists.
“It will help provide comprehensive, high-quality health care facilities to people with diabetes and strengthen the country’s public health,” she said. “This aligns with Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to allow for a comprehensive, effective and integrated health system as well as equal access to health services.”
innovative portfolio
Sanofi’s innovative portfolio in the areas of diabetes, cardiovascular, vaccines, rare disease, immunology, oncology and consumer healthcare empowers it to serve a wide range of patients in the Kingdom.
Al-Khoury said, “We are a strategic partner of the Kingdom’s strong healthcare sector and a key contributor to the country’s economic diversification strategy and aspirations.”
According to him, Sanofi is committed to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which aims to reduce the burden of imported drugs, create high-skilled jobs, achieve national drug security, increase foreign direct investment and make the kingdom a biopharma and regional hub. Help in setting up. vaccine production.
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Over the past five years, Sanofi has delivered educational programs to thousands of health professionals in the region – many of whom are talented Saudis. Additionally, it has set up several strategic projects to empower pharmacy students and graduates.
“Sanofi is strengthening its presence in the Kingdom and strengthening its partnership with the Saudi government by transferring its technology and know-how to and localizing the manufacturing of its insulin and vaccines,” Al-Khoury said.
Recently, Sanofi signed a strategic partnership with Saudi-based Sudair Pharmaceutical Company for technology transfer and localization of Sanofi’s complete insulin portfolio to meet the Saudi market demand. In addition, this consortium will increase local production and ensure national drug security to try and meet the needs of the community.
digital transformation
What’s more, Sanofi is enhancing patient care through digital transformation. It has developed devices that can be integrated into the daily routine of patients while providing personalized care. Its smart solutions make life easier for patients using insulin.
It launched “My Dose Coach” in the Bay Area, a first-of-its-kind approved digital titration solution that helps patients and healthcare professionals work together towards target fasting blood glucose and therefore insulin dose optimization Controls the medium better.
Al-Khoury concluded, “This allows health professionals to get a more comprehensive view of patient trends and patterns, not just numbers, allowing them to work remotely to make better medical decisions.” is permitted.”