Saudi Arabia to boost local gene therapy manufacturing

The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, in collaboration with the Ministries of Investment and Health in Saudi Arabia, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with American pharmaceutical company Vertex to enhance the biotechnology sector by localising gene therapy manufacturing in the Kingdom, transferring knowledge, and developing innovations and research locally.

The partnership aims to help achieve Saudi Arabia's goal of becoming a global biotechnology hub by 2040. It is also expected to attract investments of up to SAR 1 billion to the Kingdom over the next five years.

The MoU aims to position the Kingdom at the forefront of the global biotechnology landscape through three key pillars, including developing research, development, and medical treatment expertise within the Kingdom; strengthening local biomanufacturing capabilities in cell and gene therapy; and training and qualifying local talent to accelerate the development of Saudi health experts.

Ultimately, the goal is for these experts to become global leaders in biotechnology.