Read the Conversation
Meeting highlights:
- How Fadi Ghanayem's journey has advanced bioMérieux's footprint in Saudi Arabia, driving significant growth and reinforcing its presence with a targeted action plan focusing on medical education.
- Strengthening bioMérieux's role beyond distribution by enhancing medical value, improving patient outcomes, and providing cutting-edge diagnostic solutions.
- Raising awareness of AMR and the critical importance of diagnostics in healthcare, from symptom recognition to precise and actionable outcomes.
- Advancing education, fostering research and development, and ensuring access to innovative technologies while establishing bioMérieux as the trusted partner for the Ministry of Health (MOH).
EF: You have 26 years of experience in the industry, with the last eight years spent at bioMérieux Saudi Arabia. bioMérieux has been actively promoting the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) agenda globally. What accomplishments are you most proud of achieving, and what current priorities are you focusing on?
FG: I learned a lot since I began working with bioMérieux. Back then, I was new to the IVD Industry. In 2016, we had a limited physical presence as bioMérieux in Saudi. My main objective was to strengthen bioMérieux's presence in Saudi Arabia to help the distributor reinforce the leadership of bioMérieux in Diagnostic stewardship. The global strategy for combating infectious diseases and enhancing the value of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) strategy was my primary objective when I joined the company. My efforts have focused not only on expanding the team but also on adding value. The growth we've achieved has not only been in sales but also in terms of medical value. We aim to provide pioneer solutions that simplify clinicians' decision-making, enabling them to choose the best options for optimal patient outcomes. When I began my journey at bioMérieux Saudi, we identified a significant priority to launch and deploy the Syndromic Testing.
I am proud that we have reached a point where we collaborate with numerous clinicians, not just those within the lab. Most IVD companies focus solely on laboratory personnel. However, it has become so crucial that individuals outside the labs must also be involved, as clinicians' laboratory results define the scope of patients' care pathways, therefore working closely with clinicians to identify the best and most convenient Diagnostics is crucial. Although we are primarily an IVD company, we recognize the need to increasingly engage with clinicians and expand our efforts beyond the laboratory setting.
EF: What are your priorities, and what is next for bioMérieux Saudi Arabia?
FG: AMR is evolving in Saudi Arabia and has been recognized as a global threat. Many political and health decision-makers across various countries have begun discussing the collective impact of AMR, recognizing it as one of the most significant threats facing future generations. We must act to prevent future generations from suffering. The healthcare industry needs to collaborate with partners to ensure meaningful change. Joint efforts should be undertaken among pharmaceutical companies, IVD firms, medical device manufacturers, and health authorities to address this critical issue. This is the focus of our work, and we collaborate with various authorities and associations, including the local National Microbiology Association, the Critical Care Society in Saudi Arabia, and the Ministry of Health. We aim to promote awareness of AMR within the country through numerous activities. Addressing AMR is our top global priority while aligning with the national objectives outlined in Vision 2030. We aim to simplify the process of being closer to patients at the point of care and ensuring that testing labs are nearby to provide prompt results. Raising awareness about AMR and educating on Sepsis Management through our innovative diagnostic solutions. Act now is our message to make sure we can have a positive impact on the coming generations.
EF: What decisions should the entire industry make to collaborate, and what actions must be taken to reverse the situation and positively affect AMR?
FG: As an industrial manufacturer and a pioneering leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, the fight against AMR is a priority with 75% of our R&D expenditure that is dedicated to this public health challenge. We believe that innovation and new technology are key to combat AMR. Additionally, it is crucial to provide resources and tools that raise awareness of AMR among medical healthcare professionals and the public. Misuse of antibiotics is a significant concern, and we must take steps to prevent it. Clinicians need accessible tools to effectively communicate the importance of reducing antimicrobial resistance. Public health officials and healthcare professionals must be equipped to make informed decisions regarding patient care plans and promote community awareness. Education is crucial, but healthcare professionals will struggle to raise awareness and make progress without the appropriate tools and technology. We believe that Raising awareness about AMR can empower individuals to take responsibility for their health.
EF: The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of fast and accurate diagnosis, leading to a significant shift in mindset. The accessibility and availability of technological tools have also had an impact. How can we maintain and build on these changes?
FG: COVID-19 marked a significant shift in recognizing the importance of diagnosis stewardship. As our founder Alain Mérieux once said, "Without diagnostics; Medicine is blind." Without a proper diagnosis, treating patients becomes much more challenging, even for experienced clinicians, therefore effective diagnostics are essential to minimize the margin of error in patient care. Regarding antimicrobial resistance, we are facing a significant threat. The Saudi government has dedicated substantial resources and investments to address the issue of widespread AMR. Over the past 25 years, this area has seen a notable evolution.
Additionally, the government has invested in enhancing the quality of diagnostics, not only for COVID-19 rapid testing but also for improving the overall workflow of diagnostic laboratories. Since then big data started to be a big concern, and the country's clinical leader has taken steps to gather information from various institutions, including MoH, the Military healthcare sector, the National Guard, and universities. The goal is to compile this data; many resources are needed to ensure decision-makers can move forward effectively to improve the healthcare system and positively impact patient journeys and clinical outcomes.
The Saudi government has made considerable efforts, working alongside industry partners to enhance diagnostic quality. We are in the middle stages of a partnership agreement with MoH to create a dashboard to provide a consolidated epidemiological data overview of the connected hospitals through an IT solution. We are conducting research in our labs to develop integrated solutions that will provide valuable results. To support Vision 2030, it is essential to move towards diagnostics stewardship to improve treatment quality, reduce hospitalizations, minimize antibiotic usage, and enhance patient outcomes. A state-of-the-art diagnostic solution would have a positive impact on all these areas.
EF: What is the importance of your operations in Saudi Arabia to bioMérieux?
FG: I have been given the extended responsibility of managing Central Asia for bioMérieux. My role involves making decisions that affect our operations in this Region. Generally, the economies of Central Asian countries have emerging healthcare systems that are working to enhance their diagnostic capabilities; they need effective high-level strategies for combating diseases. Most of these nations rely on external funding, which their governments use to improve their healthcare systems. I work across a diverse spectrum of healthcare environments, from Saudi Arabia—a country with significant resources and a robust commitment to advancing its healthcare system—to other regions where healthcare infrastructure is still developing, and access to advanced diagnostic solutions remains limited. This diversity makes our work both challenging and rewarding as we tailor our efforts to meet the unique needs of each context. We are working to raise awareness about the importance of diagnostics; however, many of these countries have basic healthcare levels, so better knowledge of microbiology and immunology is needed. We aim to support these countries by establishing minimum requirements for awareness within the medical community regarding diagnostic solutions. We strive to identify areas of support to find a way to fund all projects that can lead to improved patient outcomes through the diagnostics solutions we offer. We work diligently within the applicable regulatory frameworks to support access to essential diagnostics in these regions.
EF: What are key milestones and goals you're working towards in Saudi Arabia's diagnostic stewardship strategy and antimicrobial resistance efforts over the next few years?
FG: Saudi Arabia is undergoing a significant transformation, and we will keep celebrating all the quick wins we will have while deploying our diagnostic stewardship strategy. The recent milestone was establishing our regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia which aligns with Vision 2030’s focus on healthcare transformation and innovation. We are working closely with the Ministry of Health to introduce and actively deploy multiplex syndromic testing in the majority of MoH hospitals, which we have been developing over the past four years. The multiplex PCR testing will be available next year, marking a significant advancement in our efforts. This will also strengthen our response to antimicrobial resistance, one of our key goals. In 2025, we aim to take a significant step forward by enhancing and enriching our partnership with the Ministry of Health. Our objective is to strengthen our contributions to the healthcare landscape in the years to come as we continue to work to fight against infectious diseases, raise awareness about AMR, and positively impact public health. This remains our main objective, and I look forward to celebrating our progress next year.
