Participants during the event at Sidra Medicine.
Doha, Qatar: Roche Pharmaceuticals, through its local representative Ebn Sina Medical, a fully owned subsidiary of Aamal Company Q.P.S.C will co-organise the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) Peer-to-Peer Exchange 2025 at Sidra Medicine.
The high-level event convened 25 leading neurologists from 9 countries across the world who met in Qatar from to share best practices and learn from Sidra Medicine’s world-class rare disease programme.
Sidra Medicine, a women’s and children’s hospital in Qatar, established a dedicated Gene Therapy Centre in early 2025, which solidifies Sidra Medicine’s position as a regional leader in gene therapy and Qatar as an emerging hub for innovative and pioneering pediatric treatment protocols.
The Global DMD Exchange initiative underscores Roche’s commitment to advancing science and supporting the global medical community. The preceptorship provides a vital platform for physicians to gain direct insights from a centre of excellence that is actively implementing advanced therapies for DMD.
“At Roche, we are deeply committed to improving the lives of patients with rare diseases, which includes supporting the independent exchange of cutting-edge science,” said Roche’s Gulf Cluster Head, Dr Ahmed Tawfik.
“True progress comes from collaboration. Sidra Medicine is a true centre of excellence in pediatric gene therapy, and we are honoured to help facilitate this forum. Allowing experts pioneering real-world experience to be shared benefits physicians and, ultimately, patients across the globe.”
Division Chief of Genetic and Genomic Medicine at Sidra Medicine, Prof. Tawfeg Ben-Omran said, “The Peer-to-Peer DMD Exchange programme with Roche highlights Sidra Medicine’s growing expertise and leadership in the care and treatment of DMD. Since 2024, we have offered gene therapy protocols to 15 children from several countries.
As we expand our services to align with our goal to be a regional centre of excellence, the global DMD Exchange is another step forward to address the need to share best practices and knowledge about innovative treatment protocols with our peers from around the world.”
Commenting on the event, CEO of Aamal Company Q.P.S.C., Rashid bin Ali Al Mansouri said, “Aamal Company is proud to support this international medical programme through our subsidiary, Ebn Sina Medical, and in collaboration with our partner, Roche.
Such initiatives contribute to the exchange of expertise among leading specialists and strengthen Qatar’s position as a hub for advanced healthcare and medical innovation. We at Aamal Company are committed to supporting initiatives that elevate the health sector through our medical-focused subsidiaries, and we are particularly proud to collaborate with Roche, a global leader in this field, to jointly advance healthcare and medical research in Qatar.’
During the two-day programme, visiting experts will engage directly with Sidra’s “Gene Therapy Team.”
The agenda focuses on practical, real-world experience, including gene therapy site readiness, patient management, and multidisciplinary coordination.
