Burjeel Holdings and Avatrial Partner to Develop AI-Powered Cancer Drug Discovery Ecosystem in Abu Dhabi
Strategic Partnership Aims to Accelerate Cancer Research and Therapeutic Innovation
Burjeel Holdings, a leading super-specialty healthcare services provider in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Avatrial, a United Kingdom-based biotechnology company, to explore the development of an integrated artificial intelligence (AI)-powered cancer drug discovery ecosystem in Abu Dhabi. The proposed initiative aims to connect clinical expertise, advanced biotechnology, molecular analysis, and AI-assisted research to identify promising new cancer treatments and potentially advance them toward clinical trials.
The agreement represents a significant step in the two organizations’ efforts to strengthen translational research and therapeutic innovation. By combining Burjeel Holdings’ clinical infrastructure and oncology expertise with Avatrial’s biotechnology platform, the partnership seeks to establish a coordinated approach that connects insights from cancer patients with laboratory research and potential treatment development.
The MoU was signed at the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit in the presence of Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Burjeel Holdings. Prof. Khaled Musallam, Group Chief Research Officer at Burjeel Holdings, and Prof. Kourosh Saeb-Parsy, Founder and CEO of Avatrial and a professor at the University of Cambridge, signed the agreement.
Avatrial was co-founded by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Prof. Kourosh Saeb-Parsy. The company’s biotechnology capabilities and research approach are expected to complement Burjeel’s patient-centered clinical research infrastructure as the organizations evaluate the feasibility of the proposed ecosystem.
The collaboration will focus on exploring how patient-derived biological materials, de-identified clinical information, molecular profiling, and AI-assisted analysis can be integrated into a research framework for cancer drug discovery. The initiative is intended to investigate cancer biology, identify potential therapeutic targets, and evaluate promising drug candidates through experimental research.
The agreement supports Burjeel 2.0, the Group’s transformation strategy focused on advancing complex care, expanding clinical research, and integrating AI across its healthcare ecosystem. It also aligns with Abu Dhabi’s broader ambition to establish itself as a center for life sciences, precision medicine, and healthcare innovation.
Connecting Patient Insights With Cancer Drug Discovery
A central feature of the proposed collaboration is a discovery-to-clinic model designed to connect information generated through patient care with experimental research and potential therapeutic development.
Traditional drug discovery can involve multiple stages of investigation, including understanding the biological processes associated with a disease, identifying molecular targets, developing candidate compounds, and evaluating their activity through laboratory studies and clinical research. Connecting these stages more closely may help researchers investigate promising treatment strategies using information derived from real-world clinical settings.
Under the proposed framework, Burjeel Holdings and Avatrial will explore ways to bring together clinical data, molecular analysis, and experimental research to investigate the biological mechanisms underlying different cancers.
The initiative is expected to draw on Burjeel Holdings’ clinical network and the oncology expertise of Burjeel Cancer Institute (BCI). These capabilities will be combined with Avatrial’s multi-omics technologies and patient-derived experimental models.
Multi-omics research examines biological information from multiple molecular layers, which may include genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and other molecular measurements. By studying these interconnected datasets, researchers can investigate how genetic changes, gene activity, proteins, and other biological processes contribute to cancer development and progression.
AI-assisted analysis could help researchers identify patterns across complex datasets, generate hypotheses about disease mechanisms, and prioritize molecular targets for further investigation. Such methods may also support the identification of biological characteristics that could influence how a tumor responds to a potential treatment.
However, computational findings would need to be assessed through appropriate laboratory experiments and further research. AI-generated predictions alone cannot establish that a treatment is safe or effective in patients.
The proposed partnership aims to connect these analytical capabilities with patient-derived experimental models. This approach could give researchers additional opportunities to examine whether promising molecular targets translate into measurable biological effects and whether candidate treatments warrant further development.
Using Patient-Derived Models to Evaluate Potential Therapies
The proposed ecosystem is expected to explore the use of ethically consented surplus tumor tissue and de-identified clinical data, subject to the necessary ethical reviews, regulatory approvals, and institutional requirements.
Surplus tumor tissue may provide valuable biological material for understanding the characteristics of a patient’s cancer. When appropriately collected and analyzed, these samples can help researchers study tumor biology, investigate molecular differences between cancer types, and assess potential responses to experimental treatments.
The use of patient-derived models may also help scientists evaluate drug candidates under controlled laboratory conditions. Depending on the models developed and the research questions involved, these systems can provide insights into how cancer cells or tumor-associated biological processes respond to specific therapeutic approaches.
Within the proposed framework, AI-assisted molecular profiling would help identify potential therapeutic targets. Researchers could then use experimental models to investigate those targets and assess the biological activity of promising drug candidates.
This integration is intended to establish a more connected research pathway, linking patient information to molecular discovery and experimental validation.
The organizations will need to ensure that any use of patient samples and clinical information follows applicable consent requirements, privacy protections, research governance standards, and regulatory obligations. De-identification can reduce the direct identification of individuals in research datasets, but it does not eliminate the need for appropriate data protection and oversight.
The feasibility program is expected to help determine how these different components can operate within a coordinated research environment in Abu Dhabi.
Advancing Promising Candidates Toward Clinical Development
The collaboration is designed to investigate potential opportunities to move selected drug candidates from early-stage discovery into subsequent phases of development.
Candidates that demonstrate encouraging results during preclinical evaluation could be considered for further development, subject to additional agreements, scientific assessment, funding decisions, and regulatory approvals. Preclinical research is an important stage in evaluating the biological activity and potential risks of a candidate before it is considered for testing in humans.
A promising laboratory result does not guarantee that a treatment will succeed in clinical trials. Further research is required to establish whether a candidate has an acceptable safety profile, whether it can be administered effectively, and whether it offers meaningful benefits for patients.
Nurion CRO, which is affiliated with Burjeel, is expected to support the clinical research and trial development process. Clinical research organizations can contribute operational expertise in areas such as study planning, trial coordination, regulatory documentation, and research management, depending on the scope of their responsibilities.
The involvement of clinical research capabilities could help the proposed ecosystem examine how promising discoveries might progress through the development pathway. The precise responsibilities and activities would depend on the research programs established by the partners and the relevant approvals.
If the feasibility work demonstrates that the model can be implemented effectively, the collaboration could provide a foundation for further joint therapeutic development programs.
The initial emphasis on selected solid tumors will allow the partners to examine how clinical samples, molecular profiling, computational analysis, and experimental validation can be integrated into a practical research workflow.
Building on Burjeel Cancer Institute’s Oncology Expertise
Burjeel Holdings brings an established foundation in complex oncology, precision medicine, and translational research to the proposed partnership.
Through Burjeel Cancer Institute, the Group has developed a multidisciplinary oncology ecosystem supported by diagnostic imaging, molecular profiling, and specialized treatment services. Its capabilities span medical oncology, surgical oncology, and radiation oncology, bringing together different areas of expertise to support patients with complex cancer diagnoses.
Multidisciplinary cancer care is particularly important because treatment decisions often involve several clinical considerations. These may include the type and stage of cancer, the tumor’s molecular characteristics, the patient’s overall health, previous treatments, and the availability of suitable therapeutic options.
Molecular profiling can contribute to this process by identifying selected genetic or biological characteristics of a tumor. Depending on the cancer type and the tests available, this information may help clinicians assess whether a patient could be eligible for particular targeted therapies or clinical trials.
Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi serves as a flagship center for complex cancer care, bringing together multidisciplinary teams to manage challenging cases. Its clinical infrastructure provides an important setting for the Group’s broader efforts to strengthen specialized treatment and research capabilities.
BCI has also expanded its regional reach through specialty centers and international collaborations. These activities support access to specialist expertise, advanced treatment options, and coordinated multidisciplinary care.
The proposed partnership with Avatrial could build on this clinical foundation by creating additional opportunities to connect oncology services with early-stage scientific investigation. Clinical expertise may help researchers identify relevant research questions, while laboratory and computational capabilities can support the investigation of disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic approaches.
Such collaboration between clinicians and researchers is an important component of translational medicine, which seeks to move scientific discoveries toward applications that may eventually benefit patients.
Expanding Burjeel’s Wider Research Portfolio
The proposed cancer drug discovery initiative forms part of Burjeel Holdings’ broader interest in clinical research and emerging medical technologies.
The Group’s research portfolio includes clinical trials, scientific collaborations, and programs involving rare blood disorders, precision medicine, and emerging cell and gene therapies. These areas reflect the growing importance of specialized research in addressing conditions that may require advanced diagnostic methods or treatments tailored to specific biological characteristics.
One of Burjeel’s research initiatives is the Center for Research on Rare Blood Disorders (CR-RBD). The center has developed an international research presence focused on improving understanding, diagnosis, and treatment approaches for complex hematological conditions.
Research involving rare blood disorders can require collaboration among specialist clinicians, laboratories, academic institutions, and biotechnology organizations. The relatively small patient populations associated with some rare conditions can also create challenges in generating evidence and conducting clinical studies.
Through research programs and international scientific cooperation, institutions can work to improve disease characterization, evaluate emerging therapies, and build knowledge that may support future treatment development.
The proposed partnership with Avatrial adds a cancer-focused dimension to these wider research interests. Although oncology and rare blood disorders involve different diseases and research requirements, both areas can benefit from closer connections between clinical observations, molecular analysis, and experimental investigation.
The organizations have indicated that the proposed model could eventually be considered for therapeutic areas beyond oncology, including rare and inherited diseases. Any expansion would depend on the outcomes of the initial feasibility work and the development of suitable research programs.
Abu Dhabi’s Growing Role in Life Sciences and Precision Medicine
The collaboration also reflects the increasing emphasis on developing advanced healthcare research capabilities in Abu Dhabi and the wider United Arab Emirates.
Healthcare systems are increasingly investing in research infrastructure, specialist clinical services, biotechnology, digital health, and precision medicine. These areas can contribute to the development of research ecosystems in which healthcare providers, universities, technology companies, and biotechnology organizations work together.
Abu Dhabi’s ambition to strengthen its position in life sciences and healthcare innovation creates opportunities for partnerships that combine local clinical expertise with international research capabilities.
For Burjeel Holdings, the proposed collaboration offers a way to explore how its healthcare network can contribute to therapeutic innovation. For Avatrial, the partnership provides a potential framework for connecting its biotechnology platform with clinical expertise and patient-derived research opportunities in the region.
The involvement of organizations from the UAE and the UK could also support scientific exchange and collaboration between the two markets. Cross-border partnerships may create opportunities to share expertise, establish research relationships, and investigate potential treatment strategies through coordinated programs.
Nevertheless, building a successful drug discovery ecosystem requires more than technology and clinical access. It also depends on scientific quality, appropriate governance, investment, specialist personnel, research infrastructure, and the ability to meet the regulatory requirements associated with drug development.
The proposed feasibility program will therefore be an important step in determining how the partnership can be structured and which research opportunities should be prioritized.
A Phased Approach to Research and Development
Rather than immediately establishing a fully operational drug development pipeline, the organizations plan to begin with a feasibility program involving selected solid tumors.
This initial phase is expected to examine the practical integration of clinical samples, molecular profiling, AI-based analysis, and experimental validation. It will also help the partners evaluate the scientific and operational requirements of bringing these capabilities together.
The findings could inform decisions about potential joint therapeutic development programs, opportunities to strengthen local research infrastructure, and the expansion of scientific capabilities in Abu Dhabi.
A phased approach can help research partners identify technical requirements, evaluate workflows, clarify responsibilities, and determine which areas warrant further investment. It can also provide an opportunity to assess data governance, sample-handling processes, experimental reproducibility, and the practical coordination of clinical and laboratory research.
The MoU establishes a framework for exploring the collaboration; it does not, by itself, confirm that a new cancer treatment has been discovered or that a clinical trial will proceed. Any subsequent development would depend on the feasibility results, additional agreements, and the required approvals.
If successful, the initiative could provide a basis for further research programs that connect patient-derived evidence with computational discovery and experimental drug evaluation.
Supporting the Burjeel 2.0 Transformation Strategy
The partnership aligns with Burjeel 2.0, the Group’s transformation strategy to advance complex care, clinical research, and AI integration throughout its healthcare ecosystem.
Integrating AI into healthcare research can create opportunities to analyze large and complex datasets, identify relationships that merit further investigation, and support the prioritization of research hypotheses. In cancer research, these capabilities may be particularly relevant because tumors can vary substantially in their molecular characteristics and responses to treatment.
The value of AI-assisted discovery will depend on the quality of the underlying data, the suitability of the analytical methods, and the ability to validate findings through rigorous experiments. Clinical judgment, laboratory research, and regulatory review will remain essential throughout the drug development process.
By exploring an integrated framework, Burjeel Holdings and Avatrial aim to investigate how these complementary capabilities can contribute to the search for new therapeutic options.
The initiative also reflects a broader shift toward healthcare models that connect treatment delivery with scientific research. In such models, clinical institutions can contribute to research through carefully governed patient-derived samples and clinical information, while biotechnology platforms can help investigate potential discoveries that may eventually lead to new treatments.
For patients, the long-term significance of this work will depend on whether the research identifies viable therapeutic candidates and whether those candidates demonstrate safety and effectiveness through the appropriate stages of evaluation.
Burjeel Holdings and Avatrial’s proposed AI-powered cancer drug discovery ecosystem represents an effort to strengthen the relationship between clinical care, biotechnology research, and therapeutic development in Abu Dhabi.
By combining Burjeel’s oncology expertise and clinical infrastructure with Avatrial’s multi-omics technologies, AI-assisted research capabilities, and patient-derived experimental models, the partners intend to explore a framework for identifying potential cancer treatment targets and evaluating promising drug candidates.
The initial feasibility program will focus on selected solid tumors and assess how the different research components can be coordinated. Its findings are expected to guide decisions on future therapeutic development initiatives and possible expansion into additional disease areas.
The partnership supports Burjeel Holdings’ broader strategy to advance complex healthcare, clinical research, and AI integration while contributing to Abu Dhabi’s ambitions in life sciences and precision medicine.
Although the development of new cancer therapies remains a complex and uncertain process, the collaboration establishes a platform for exploring how patient-centered research and emerging biotechnology capabilities can be brought together. The results of the feasibility work, followed by any subsequent scientific and regulatory milestones, will determine the initiative’s potential to progress from early-stage discovery toward clinical development.
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