Julphar Diabetes hosts its inaugural Diabetes Symposium in Dubai

During the event delegates, who had travelled from the YAE, KSA, Iraq, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Lebanon, Yemen, Kenya, Ethiopia and Egypt, listened to presentations from two of the world's most eminent experts in the field of diabetes care, Dr. Jay S. Skyler and Dr. Mary Angelyn Bethel.

Speaking at the Symposium during which he addressed attendees on 'Future Approaches to Diabetes', Dr Skyler said, "Diabetes is a growing global problem and the Middle East has its own specific challenges in dealing with this disease which need to be addressed by healthcare providers on a local level. I applaud this initiative, which enables open discussion and shared learning amongst the professionals shaping the sector."

Dr Skyler is a Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Psychology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Deputy Director for Clinical Research and Academic Programmes at the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI).

His career in diabetes spans over four decades, where his research interests have concentrated in clinical aspects of diabetes, particularly improving the care of Type 1 diabetes through meticulous glycemic control, psychosocial and behavioural support, and immune intervention.

Dr Bethel added, "Events such as these help to focus our thoughts and address the very real issues and challenges we face as practitioners in the field of diabetes care. Julphar Diabetes is a leading light in the fight against diabetes not only in the GCC and Middle East but also on an international level and we must all applaud their continuous commitment and investment."

Dr Bethel is currently the Deputy Director, Diabetes Trials Unit, at the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism at the Churchill Hospital, in the UK.

At the Symposium she tackled the Role of Glucose Control in Managing Cardiovascular Risk in which she reviewed the strength of the association between hyperglycaemia and cardiovascular outcomes and the evidence that improving glycaemia control lowers cardiovascular risk.

Joe Saldanha, GM of Julphar Diabetes, hailed the event as a great success. Closing the Symposium he said, "This Symposium has been a tremendous platform to highlight what is surely one of the biggest health issues of the 21st century. We have been privileged to have with us some of the world's leading endocrinologists on this subject and we have clearly gained significant knowledge from their insights. I look forward to continuing to work with them in combating the rise of diabetes on a global scale and hope that when we next meet altogether we will be able to witness some demonstrable improvement in some of the key issues we have been discussing here today."

Julphar Diabetes is the division of Julphar that manages the manufacturing and commercialization of diabetes products. Following the Symposium, guests visited the newly opened $150m Julphar Diabetes facility (Julphar XI).

The plant is built in accordance with the latest EMEA regulations, utilizing the best available technologies in the market to comply with the latest international quality standards, thus making it one of the most modern bio-technological plants designed for producing insulin crystals. Production capacity is expected to be around 40 million vials of insulin per year, enough to supply the entire region and beyond.