The Riyadh Global Medical Biotechnology Summit (RGMBS) 2021 sought to present the latest developments in medical biotechnology, together with potential opportunities for collaboration, to local stakeholders, international partners, and senior government decision- makers. More than 30 international academic and industrial entities from over five countries were represented at the summit from a variety of medical biotechnology research areas. Abdelali Haoudi organised the RGMBS 2021 with colleagues, and here describeshow the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia benefits from hosting such a summit during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
What benefits will the summit bring to Saudi Arabia and to the global biotechnology industry?
We do not need to reinvent the wheel for medical biotechnology in Saudi Arabia. However, there are inspiring best practices and successful models out there, and we are motivated by these successful models and want to adopt them to the needs of our country. The best way to achieve this is to partner with successful entities and countries in this field. We are interested in strong scienceand research and development, as well as best practices for the manufacture of novel medicines, vaccines and medical devices. Another key interest is the commercialisation of these products locally, regionally and globally. Therefore, global partnerships represent a cornerstone in the successful establishment of these activities in the Kingdom. The summit witnessed the signingof six different partnerships in medical biotechnology, with several other partnerships in the planning stages.
What lessons can be learned from the biotech industry’s pandemic response?
Medical biotechnology companies have played a significant role in the quick response to the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of vaccine development. Two out of the four major global COVID-19 vaccines were developed by medical biotechnology companies, namelyModerna (USA) and BioNtech (Germany) in partnership with Pfizer. The biotechnology sector has proven to be agile and very responsive to urgent needs. There are lessons to be learned from this successful and fast deployment of vaccine development, manufacturing and commercialisation over a period of a few months, instead of the years or decades it usually takes. Clearly, we have learned that there are quicker and more effective ways to translate research findings into products, to streamline procurementprocesses, and to establish strategic alliances that move innovative products rapidly to the market.
How will discussions at the summit influence best practice in Saudi Arabia?
We invited leading global experts in different fields of medical biotechnology to the summit. These experts are renowned in their respective fields and therefore represent invaluable reference points at this critical time. We will come up with a clear and actionable plan to enhance the current situation in Saudi Arabia that focuses on improving the pace and dissemination of R&D and innovation from lab to the market with clear economic, health and societal impacts. These recommendations will be shared with senior government officials in the hope that the government adopts them.
What investment strategies does the Kingdom’s government have in place for medical biotechnology?
The government recently selected medical biotechnology as a strategic choice for economic diversification and better resource healthcare improvement. As such, a number of investment initiatives are now underway. For instance, the Saudi Public Investment Fund has set up the Pharmaceutical Investment Company to support novel therapeutics and drug development start-ups.
What strategic innovations are needed in the Middle East to improve healthcare access and make the best of new technologies?
Countries in the Middle East must integrate R&D, innovation, and entrepreneurship as a strategic and key priority in their future economic development plans. They must not simply be left as another facet to academic teaching— which is currently the case in certain countries. Additionally, there is an urgent need for enabling policies for procurement and the creation of start-up biotech companies, as well as diverse investment opportunities in this rapidly evolving field.
Furthermore, legislation enabling researchers to embark on biotechnology start-ups is a must, because this will allow researchers to become successful entrepreneurs while remaining in their academic careers as active scientists. It is this blend of capabilities that has fuelled the development of medical biotechnology companies in developed countries, particularly the U.S., and this providesa significant benchmark for the Middle East to aim for.