Dubai, 12 December 2021 – Merck, a leading science and technology company, has taken
part in the sixth Middle East North Africa Committee for Treatment and Research
in Multiple Sclerosis (MENACTRIMS) congress. The event provides a forum of
excellence in multiple sclerosis (MS) education and research, for healthcare
professionals from across the region. Participation in the congress, which took
place from December 10 – 11 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai, reaffirms
Merck’s commitment to improving the lives of patients by addressing areas of significant
unmet medical need, such as MS.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, a strong focus for this year’s
congress was reviewing the impact that the virus has had on MS patients and how
the vaccine may affect the treatment they receive. This is in line with Merck’s
recent research efforts, which, since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak,
have focused on researching how the pandemic has affected MS patients. The
event saw more than 1000 attendees gather, both in-person and virtually, and
delivered state-of-the-art presentations from renowned international and
regional speakers. In addition, Merck presented a number of abstracts,
including 4 which explored the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in MS
patients and the effect they may have on their ongoing treatment plans. They
also hosted a number of educational events, including a Satellite Symposium
titled ‘Getting closer to life without MS’, which highlighted how the latest
advances in immune reconstitution therapy provide a novel concept for MS
therapy and can offer substantial advantages to patients over traditional
immunosuppressive therapies1.
As part of an ongoing initiative that was initiated in 2020,
Merck provided a grantto support a registry of MS patients who
contracted COVID-19. The data, which includes the statistics on MS
patients from the UAE, Oman, and Kuwait, was presented during the congress.
MS is a chronic, inflammatory condition of the central nervous system
and is the most common disabling neurological disease in young adults. The
symptoms of MS can vary, but the most common include blurred vision, numbness
or tingling in the limbs, and problems with strength and coordination.
Relapsing forms of MS are the most common. It is estimated that approximately
2.3 million people have MS worldwide, and the number of people in the region
being diagnosed with the condition is rising annually1. This
increase is due to several factors, including a higher incidence of something
called ‘urbanization’, which sees an increase in certain risk factors among the
general population, such as increased body weight, higher levels of stress and
smoking, and decreased sun exposure1.
Dr.
Matthias Meergans, Medical Head, MEAR, at Merck Healthcare said: “We are
committed to serving the region’s MS patients. Our work is underpinned by more
than 20 years’ experience in neurology and immunology, and we are driven to
invest in research and development to reduce the impact of what can be a
life-changing disease. As a company, we invest heavily in delivering innovative
treatments that help to advance the standard of MS care, delay the progression
of disability it can cause, and to ultimately improve the lives of patients. Working
alongside organizations such as MENACTRIMS, who provide a platform for our
region’s dedicated professionals to share knowledge and best practice, within
an area of such significant need, resonates with our ambitions. Our strong
partnership will continue to evolve, and we will always support the work they
do to develop educational activities, patient registries and treatment
guidelines, for the benefit of our MS community.”
Professor Bassem Yamout, President of MENACTRIMS, said, “We act
as a voice for the MS community, and focus our activities on supporting
clinical research. Advancing research is at the very heart of addressing how we
treat this disease and will ensure we can improve the lives of MS patients and
their loved ones, particularly during challenging times such as the global
pandemic. Whenever possible, we collaborate with organizations and companies
such as Merck, who support and enhance our mission. Through our educational
events, we aim to nurture the next generation of young researchers and provide
comprehensive guidelines to improve the diagnosis and treatment of MS in the
region. We have already established a regional registry that includes more than
10,000 MS patients, which has helped to boost clinical research in the MENA
region.”
Merck is committed to supporting the region’s MS
medical community, to advance scientific research within the field and to support
the developments of guidelines for the management of MS, that will improve
patients’ lives and allow specialists to provide better care, in particular following
the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent development of novel vaccines. Merck
also host a number of educational programs, providing physicians from across
the world with superior scientific content, real-world experiences from leading
faculty, and the opportunity for peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, to better
improve outcomes for MS patients.
