Fatima Jamali: Advancements and Real-World Insights in Cell and Gene Therapy at MENA Rare Diseases 2026
Fatima Jamali, Head of Neuroscience Research at Cell Therapy Center, shared a post on LinkedIn:
”A highly insightful morning at the 5th MENA Congress for Rare Diseases 2026, organized under the leadership of Dr Ayman El-Hattab, Congress and Pharma President, with a dedicated session focusing on the rapidly evolving field of Cell and Gene Therapy.
The session was chaired by Prof. Khaled Musallam and featured valuable perspectives from leading experts across the region.
Key highlights included:
Prof. Shahrukh Hashmi. Discussed The Landscape of Gene Therapies in Hemophilia, highlighting the progress and evolving opportunities for gene therapy in the treatment of hemophilia.
He also shared his regulatory perspective on the evolving regulatory landscape and the need for regulatory frameworks to keep pace with innovation in advanced therapies.
Dr. Mohamed Abu Haleeqa. Shared success stories from gene therapy products used to treat patients at Yas Clinic, including Vertex, where five patients over the age of 35 received treatment. These cases contribute valuable real-world data and represent an emerging age category within the global evidence base for gene therapy.
Dr. Hatim Sidahmed from Abu Dhabi Biobank, presented the advances in the preservation and management of approximately 3,000 cord blood and tissue samples collected so far, alongside genetic screening initiatives conducted through a collaboration with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi.
Dr. Mansi Sachdev from Yas clininc discussed bone marrow transplantation for rare immunodeficiencies and highlighted the capabilities of the ADSC scientific arm in supporting the development and delivery of cellular therapies.
The discussions reinforced the importance of collaboration between clinicians, researchers, regulators, biobanks, and biotechnology companies to translate scientific advances into accessible therapies for patients with rare diseases.
Meeting colleagues and friends in the scientific community especially members of the Women_in_Biotech is always the best part of such meetings.”
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