Dubai opens plant to produce drug for cancer patients

A high-tech facility was inaugurated here in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to manufacture a drug required in PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan for cancer patients.

The drug, Flurodeoxglucose (FDG), has a short shelf life of only 10 hours. Therefore, importing it into the UAE was a cumbersome process.

To conduct a PET scan, the patient needs to be injected with a dose of FDG.

The PET scan is considered better than the regular scans as it can detect cancer early.

“Previously we needed to import this injection from countries like Holland, but the short shelf life of the product was always a challenge,” said Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, director general of Dubai Health Authority.

“Now it will be manufactured in Dubai and will be an hour away from the major hospitals that require this drug for various oncological, cardiovascular and neurological conditions,” WAM news agency quoted him as saying Wednesday.