Sajjad Ahmad, Deputy Business Editor

To raise awareness among the public, stakeholders and policy makers about Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS), a chronic skin condition characterised by painful lumps deep within the skin, Novartis announced a ground-breaking partnership with the Emirates Dermatology Society (EDS).

Novartis, a leading global medicines company, and EDS will work together in the identification of the disease, its management and data collection in the UAE.

The collaboration aims to raise awareness of the condition and deliver critical insights to help healthcare providers and policymakers to support patients affected by this debilitating disease.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa affects an estimated 1 in 100 individuals worldwide. In the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (APMA) region, an estimated 80 per cent of people affected still await a proper diagnosis.

Additionally, the average delay in diagnosing HS is up to a staggering seven years, with patients typically visiting, on average, five different physicians before receiving a formal diagnosis.

However, due to limited awareness and understanding of HS, its true prevalence, both globally and regionally, remains uncertain.

The partnership between Novartis and EDS, under the initiative 'Shine a Light on HS,' represents an unprecedented opportunity to significantly improve the understanding, diagnosing, and management of this distressing condition.

By harnessing the power of data, this initiative will equip healthcare professionals and policymakers with invaluable insights to make informed decisions for HS patients and drive positive change.

Mohamed Ezz Eldin, Head of Gulf Countries, Innovative Medicines at Novartis, said: “As part of our mission to reimagine medicine, we are committed to working extensively with stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem to drive initiatives that will improve and extend people’s lives. Our partnership with the Emirates Dermatology Society aligns with our efforts to transform the landscape of awareness on HS in the UAE and beyond. Through this collaboration, we will revolutionise how HS is perceived, diagnosed, and treated. Together with the Emirates Dermatology Society, we strive to bring hope to the lives of HS patients and ensure their voices are heard."

He added," Today signing of the partnership is very important to educate the patients as well as the public about the severity of the disease and spread awareness for early detection. The partnership will enable us to share our information with stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem."

He said, " Currently, we do not have the correct data about HS in the UAE but Novartis and EDS will collaborate to generate the real time local data about the disease."

"The UAE healthcare sector is growing and adopting latest technologies to provide the best possible treatment and services to the patients. New advance platforms and Medicines are available in the country with good infrastructure," Mohamed Ezz Eldin concluded.

As part of this pioneering collaboration, Novartis and EDS will establish scientific, educational platforms targeting Dermatologists and patients in the UAE, fostering a deeper understanding of HS. By combining resources and expertise, both organisations will capture and generate local data on HS through Real World Evidence (RWE), empowering the medical community to make evidence-based decisions. Furthermore, widescale educational initiatives and platforms will be launched to raise awareness and promote understanding of HS among the general public.

"We are incredibly enthusiastic about this joint endeavour with Novartis," stated Dr Muna Al Murrawi, President of the Emirates Dermatology Society. "By joining forces, we can pool our expertise and resources to address the unique needs of HS patients in the UAE. Our collective goal is to gain a comprehensive understanding of HS, its profound impact on patient lives, and explore ways to improve their quality of life."

Dr Muna said,"This partnership with Novartis will play a key role to raise awareness about HS in the society to identify the disease in the early stage."

She added, "Both Novartis and EDS  will coordinate with stakeholders and policy makers to develop various strategies for HS diagnoses and treatment."

"There is no single cause of the HS. The disease has multi-factor causes. In some cases it’s genetics and other cases it emerges with other diseases." she concluded.