Chasing new frontiers at LEAP – The National Biotechnology Strategy Keynote

On the third day of LEAP (4–7 March 2024, Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Centre, Malham, Saudi Arabia) the CPHI Middle East team hosted the Future Pharma Forum, to set the scene for an exciting new event for the pharma community, coming to Riyadh in December 2024. 

The Keynote address was given by Dr Khalid A. Alburikan, Advisor to His Excellency the Vice Minister of Health and Red Biotechnology Lead, and Claudia Palme, Senior Executive Advisor for Strategy & Middle East. 

Dr Khalid opened by asking the audience to raise their hand if someone they love suffers from diabetes. He explained that despite significant therapeutic innovation seen in recent years, there still isn’t a cure for an enduring disease such as diabetes. The goal of the strategy is to address diseases and assist millions who have unmet medical needs. It explores how we can utilise basic sciences within an innovation-driven economy to achieve breakthroughs that enhance patient outcomes globally. 

“The work starts today.”

Dr Khalid explained some of the rationale behind the genesis of the strategy, stating that it has a major impact on the economy; the government wants to diversify from oil towards a knowledge-based economy, with innovation and pioneers at the very core. The strategy will also create a meaningful social impact: investment in biotechnology in Saudi Arabia is projected to create 55,000 jobs by 2040. 

Palme then commanded the stage to illuminate the four strategic plays the NBS is focusing on, which come under: 
-    Vaccines
-    Biomanufacturing and localisation
-    Genomics
-    Plant optimisation

Why four strategic plays? 

Palme started with what she states might be the most surprising of the strategies, the “green” plant optimisation: she says you might question why crop science is being brought up here but asserts that green science is actually integral to biotechnology – it comes together with the One Health concept from WHO – the idea is that people, plants, and animals all integrate on a common biological basis, the health of each directly relating to the health of the other. She referred to the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of zoonotic diseases that impacted the whole world, bringing home the message that biotechnology has to be viewed in a holistic manner in respect to this, and not just for Saudi Arabia and the MENA region, but for the whole world. 

Palme took a moment to highlight the ‘good news’ that has come out of recent events – the discoveries and technologies in mRNA, oncology, and manufacturing developments in biologics – a key component they will be focusing on, and localisation of such operations. 

“Tactically it has also shown us what we can and need to do, we can build manufacturing operations for 40–50 million USD, rather than 3 billion USD, and we need to spread out, we can’t have concentrated operations. The Kingdom is planning on using the new technologies developed here to expand the supply chain, ensuring greater access.”

The final aspect of the strategy that Palme covered is genomics. The Arabian Peninsula, and Saudi Arabia in particular offers “a very unique footprint in terms of its population”. With rare diseases becoming a greater focus for the pharmaceutical industry even beyond the large multinational corporations, Palme indicated, they expect to see this trend trickle down into secondary research, into generics and beyond. 

Palme proposed that excelling in innovation, researching on a deeper level, and clinical testing to such a stringent degree, really can only happen in a place like Saudi Arabia. She introduced  this line of thought to Dr Khalid, asking:

“What do you imagine this brave new world will look like? What do you want to see in 2024 in the Kingdom?” 

Dr Khalid replied that he wants to see scientists and entrepreneurs, the people with the passion to make the world a better place, where they can be driven by the healthcare needs of individuals, pushing for progress. 

Ultimately, Dr Khalid stated that he wants to cure and prevent diseases, and use the agility and flexibility that they have in the region to be able to utilise technology in a way that means they can predict diseases and eliminate them. He also added that this extends to known diseases, citing HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, and, harking back to his original question to the audience, diabetes. 

By bringing together players from traditionally separate areas of industry, the research, and the business side, Dr Khalid believes that we can address areas of unmet medical need. Dr Khalid also highlighted the role the Saudi Arabian government is taking; working with the scientific community, the business community, and the start-up community to realise the potential of the National Biotechnology Strategy. He commended the agile nature of the government, citing the ability to adjust rapidly to feedback as the project progresses, ensuring continued forward movement. 

At this point, the discussion was opened up to the audience. 

Nasser Alqahtani, Country Medical Director at Roche Middle East gave an insight into what Roche are looking for in connection with the National Biotechnology Strategy: 

“We are seeking how to become a trusted partner with the [Saudi Arabian] government in order to push the wheel of biotech forward. I believe, as a biotech company, we have a lot of initiatives in order to support the Saudi government to reach their transformative moves.”

Alqahtani highlighted how companies such as Roche can leverage their expertise in localisation and communication, and with the use of their extensive resources, to help the government excel in what they are hoping to achieve with the National Biotechnology Strategy.

Dr Khalid agreed, noting the innovations and investments that multinational companies have already brought to the region, that has already had an impact, as seen in the increased life expectancy of the Saudi Arabian population. 

Alqahtani further pursued this line of discussion, asking about clinical research and clinical trials, and how can companies working in Saudi Arabia can set the benchmark for patient inclusivity and participation in clinical trials in this diverse region? He believes that the initiatives the government are working on now will help navigate these areas and improve health outcomes globally. 

Another delegate asked how they are hoping to translate all the innovation they are seeing in the USA and the UK and bring this to Saudi Arabia, how can partnerships be shaped in these early stages in the Kingdom? 

Dr Khalid stated that the region presents the perfect environment for start-ups to come into, they have funding, they have the infrastructure in place, and the support of the government, so there is plenty of room for start-up companies to grow, and all the incentives are there for them. 

Palme also weighed in, saying that that’s what these discussions are for, they are here to learn from the experts such as those in the audience and see what they think is needed to build this hub in Saudi Arabia. She pointed out that they are in a good position to pave the way in regulation and data collection, and hopes this will attract talent, in the form of start-up companies and a new workforce, to the region. 

Youssef Matthana, Country Manager for Aspen Pharma Saudi Arabia went on to ask about the manufacturing potential in the region:

“Where are we with APIs and raw materials manufacturing? What does the future pipeline look like on that?” 

Dr Khalid underlined the importance of creating supply chain resilience in respect to this, and Claudia added that although API and raw material manufacturing is not technically a part of the National Biotechnology Strategy, in terms of Vision 2030, small molecules have been defined as part of the wider industrial strategy to support pharmaceuticals. The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources for example have projects involving synthetics and APIs to support the pharmaceutical sphere in Saudi Arabia. She stated that for a country like Saudi Arabia, and with the NBS, they are focusing on more complex products, which carry a higher value, but there are still other forums in the Kingdom that are centred around small molecules. 

The keynote was followed by a panel discussion on how CPHI Middle East, due to take place from 10-12 December 2024, will support KSA’s Vision 2030 pillars and the National Biotechnology Strategy. The event will provide a unique platform for both local and international pharma to connect, learn and form partnerships that advance the middle east market.

To see more from the panel discussion, click here.