Eli Lilly Saudi Arabia to establish regional hub for Alzheimer’s care

King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) and Eli Lilly Saudi Arabia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to improve Alzheimer’s patient care. The MoU would pave the way to transform KFSHRC’s Neuroscience Centre into a regional hub of excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease.

The parties aim to jointly explore initiatives to educate and train Saudi Arabian healthcare professionals about neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, including the latest global research findings and best-in-class global practices in care.

This comprehensive collaboration envisages Lilly transferring manufacturing know-how to KFSHRC, enabling future manufacturing of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging agents and tracers in Saudi Arabia, which has export potential.

PET scans are advanced imaging tests that use radiopharmaceuticals called tracers. They are frequently used to detect early signs of cancer, heart disease, and brain conditions. Thus, they help diagnose and assess the spread of cancer, heart problems, and brain disorders such as tumours, epilepsy, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

In Riyadh, Irina Zaporozhets, President of Lilly Middle East and Turkey, said "Lilly will bring state-of-the-art early detection processes for diseases like Alzheimer's to Saudi Arabia. By combining our expertise with KFSHRC, we aim to make transformative strides in diagnosing and treating Alzheimer's in Saudi Arabia. This long-term strategic collaboration allows the production of Amyloid and Tau PET tracers for Alzheimer’s PET imaging in Saudi Arabia. It can improve patient outcomes and establish a foundation for ongoing regional Alzheimer’s research and innovation."