UAE unveils 'Organ on Chip' technology for drug testing at World Health Expo in Dubai

Dubai: The UAE has unveiled innovative "Organ on Chip" technology that could revolutionise how medicines are tested, using micro-engineered electronic chips that mimic human organ functions instead of relying on animal models.

The Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) is showcasing the innovative technology at the World Health Expo (WHX) 2026 at Expo City Dubai, explaining how real human samples can be used to test drug responses in a micro-environment that physiologically and functionally replicates the human body.

"The 'Organ on Chip' technology provides highly accurate human-based models for drug testing, helping to improve the quality of scientific outcomes and accelerate research and therapeutic development, while reducing reliance on animal models," said Dr Shaikha Al Mazrouei, Director of Reference National Laboratory Drug Department at EDE.

The technology represents a paradigm shift from traditional animal testing methods, offering safer and faster preclinical studies while increasing success rates and reducing costs in drug discovery.

The Organ on Chip initiative forms part of Project Falcon, which stands for the 'Future of AI, Lab-Automation and Organ Chips for Onward Innovation in Medicine.'

The project details showcased at WHS showed that it combines laboratory automation machines with artificial intelligence (AI) to speed up drug discovery, and reduce development timelines.

According to the EDE, the limits of historical tools like animal models have driven the tendency toward biological reductionism.

"Human Organ-on-Chip is a paradigm shift approach for safer and faster preclinical study. The convergence of real-world data and AI-driven lab robotics is enabling a new generation of drug discovery," the Establishment said.

Al Mazrouei added that adopting such advanced scientific solutions enhances the efficiency of drug testing, strengthens the reliability of results, and supports national pharmaceutical security.

The technology has diverse applications across multiple sectors. In drug discovery and scientific research, it can be used for preclinical disease model development, tumour microenvironment construction, strain and compound screening, and preclinical drug efficacy and safety evaluation. It also supports research into organ development, organoid vascularisation, and immune response.

For precision medicine, the chips enable optimisation of vectors for cell and gene therapies, detection and identification of novel tumour antigens, and AI-based rapid clinical tumour drug sensitivity testing.

The cosmetics industry can also benefit, using the technology for safety standard assessment of cosmetic raw materials, in vitro evaluation of cosmetic hepato-toxicity, nephrotoxicity, and inhalation toxicity, as well as skin chip-based testing for sensitive skin cosmetics.

Alongside the Organ on Chip showcase, EDE signed two strategic memoranda of understanding during WHX 2026, aimed at driving environmental sustainability and regulatory innovation in the medical products sector.

Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, Director General of EDE, signed an MoU with ISPOR, the professional society for health economics and outcomes research, represented by Professor Nadia Al Mazrouei, Chair of ISPOR UAE Chapter.

The agreement aims to further develop health economics and strengthen health technology assessment in the UAE, supporting the exchange of international experts, launching specialised training programmes, and implementing collaborative research projects related to medical products.

Dr Al Kaabi also signed a second MoU with Roche Diagnostics Middle East, represented by Guido Sander, General Manager Middle East, and Mohammed Al Amri, Head of Diagnostics. This partnership seeks to promote sustainability, achieve carbon neutrality and zero waste in pharmaceutical laboratories, and enrich technical expertise in the design of green laboratories in the UAE.

The initiatives align with EDE's mission to upgrade the national pharmaceutical system, encourage specialised research and development studies within the UAE, and promote the adoption of innovative solutions that contribute to building an advanced and sustainable national pharmaceutical ecosystem.

The Organ on Chip project provides a cutting-edge scientific solution that enables testing of drug efficacy and toxicity on highly accurate physiological models that surpass traditional cell culture and animal-based methods, whilst ensuring alignment with leading global standards in drug testing.