Treatment of rare genetic condition ASMD now available in UAE

Treatment of rare genetic condition ASMD now available in UAE

Sharjah: The UAE has become the first country in the Middle East and the fifth in the world to offer treatment for acid sphingomyelinase deficiency (ASMD), a rare genetic disorder that causes premature death. The Emirates Health Services (EHS) has provided treatment for ASMD through Al Qassimi Women’s and Children’s Hospital (AQWCH), one of EHS facilities. The medication was given to a five-year-old child at the hospital’s Genetic Clinic after being monitored for over a year. Emirates Health Services and the hospital’s pharmacy worked together to treat the child as soon as possible. Dr Safia Al Khaja, director of AQWCH, said: “In pursuit of our vision to lead the delivery of advanced health services, the hospital began treating ASMD using the first and only enzyme substitute available in the world after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the product.” She added: “The spread of the disease has not been established, but one in every 250,000 people around the world suffers from it. Providing treatment for patients with this rare disease reflects the aspirations and objectives of EHS in line with the ‘We the UAE 2030’ vision to meet the goals for the UAE 2071. Al Khaja explained that