Leading Japanese pharmaceutical firm Kyowa Kirin International PLC has opened a new regional representative office in Dubai Healthcare City.

Dr Amin Hussain Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary, Public Health Policy and Licensing Sector, Ministry of Health and Prevention, inaugurated the office of the firm, a subsidiary of Kyowa Kirin Co. Ltd, the global Japan-based specialty pharmaceutical company.

The newly opened office brings the total number of scientific offices operating in the country to 78 amid expectations to reach 85 offices by the end of 2021.

The opening ceremony was attended by Akima Umezawa, Consul-General of Japan in Dubai, and Toshifumi Mikayama, Ph.D., director of the board and senior managing executive officer of Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.; Dr Ramadan Al Balushi, CEO of Dubai Healthcare City; and Abdul Molik, head of global markets for the company as well as other senior officials from MoHAP.

Ideal destination

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Al Amiri said: “The UAE continues to attract global pharmaceutical companies to run their operations for the region, thanks to the country’s strong and unique business infrastructure, which helped create a competitive business environment.

The country’s regulatory facilities have also resulted in creating investment opportunities attractive to pharmaceutical companies. The new office would help stimulate more Japanese pharmaceutical companies to invest in the UAE and the region”.

He added that the global pharmaceutical companies operating in the UAE are providing medicines to about 41 countries form their logistics warehouses in Dubai.

Global partnerships

Mikayama said: “As a global pharmaceutical company, we have an important role and responsibility for saving the lives of patients and improving their life quality. The launch of Kyowa Kirin’s operations in the UAE reflects the global expansion strategy of the company, aiming to harness its capabilities to add a new value to the sustainable growth.

We are interested in investing in the UAE and the wider region and are keen to develop a strong partnership with the Ministry of Health through sharing expertise and innovations”.

Molik said: “The newly opened office is an added value to Kyowa Kirin’s efforts and role in saving lives and improving life quality. At Kyowa Kirin, our main purpose is to help patients through our constant endeavors to enhance medical innovations and technologies and we will continue to expand our operations in the region to help meet the increasing medical demands.”

Regional headquarters

Myriam Hakim, General Manager GCC, Kyowa Kiri, said: “The UAE has become the regional headquarters for the biggest medical and pharmaceutical companies and international talents, thanks to its unique infrastructure, its flexible health regulations and legislation, as well as its outstanding position.

We, at Kyowa Kirin, remain committed to expanding our operations in the region and continuing our innovations to provide patients with advanced medicines for the treatment of complicated and rare diseases.”