Technology giant Oracle has joined pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, Abu Dhabi health group M42 and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in a new partnership to bring artificial intelligence into clinical trials. The initiative aims to merge patients' electronic health records with clinical trial management systems, speeding up the identification of eligible patients, their enrolment, and ultimately the overall pace of medical research.
The partnership will initially focus on patients with high blood pressure in Abu Dhabi, particularly those whose hypertension is not well controlled. Seema Verma, who is involved in the project, said the goal is to "rethink how clinical trials are done from the time that you match the patient to the trial." She added that the shift could have a massive impact on healthcare systems in the region by significantly cutting the time and cost involved in running drug trials. initial results from the programme are expected within roughly a year. The key measures being tracked include increased patient participation in trials, faster identification of suitable trial sites, and an overall improvement in trial speed.
In recent years Abu Dhabi has worked to position itself as a regional hub for data- and AI-driven medical research, combining investment in digital health technologies with partnerships with major international companies. This latest initiative, involving a global technology firm like Oracle alongside a major pharmaceutical company like AstraZeneca, signals Abu Dhabi's ambition to play a bigger role in the global drug-research pipeline, especially for widespread conditions such as hypertension, which affects millions of people worldwide.