UAE approves 10 medicines in 1 year: How these rare drugs help treat patients

Over the past year, the UAE has approved a range of new medicines and expanded uses for existing treatments. The approvals cover conditions including obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, cancer, dry eyes, severe allergies, spinal muscular atrophy and vitiligo.

Some of these treatments offer alternatives to injections, while others introduce new targeted or gene-based approaches. For patients, the key question is how these approvals could change treatment options and convenience.

1. Foundayo: A Weight-Loss Pill Instead of Injections

Foundayo, or orforglipron, is a once-daily oral medicine for chronic weight management. It can be prescribed to adults with obesity and certain overweight patients who also have health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

For people who are uncomfortable with injections, the pill provides another option. However, doctors stress that medication is not a quick fix. A healthy diet and regular physical activity remain important, and some patients may require long-term treatment.

2. Oral Wegovy: Another Option for Weight Management

The UAE also became the second country globally to approve oral Wegovy, or semaglutide.

The daily tablet provides a needle-free option for eligible people with obesity or overweight accompanied by related health conditions. It is intended to be combined with healthier eating and physical activity.

The treatment has also demonstrated benefits in reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events among certain high-risk patients.

3. Lipfendra: A Pill for High Cholesterol

Lipfendra offers doctors another treatment option for patients whose LDL, commonly known as bad cholesterol, remains high despite existing therapies.

According to Dr Hesham Tayel, consultant cardiologist and specialist interventional cardiologist at International Modern Hospital Dubai, the medicine could be particularly useful for high-risk patients and some people with inherited high cholesterol.

Its key advantage is convenience. While several treatments targeting the PCSK9 protein are administered by injection, Lipfendra is taken as a once-daily pill. It is not expected to replace commonly prescribed cholesterol medicines for most patients.

4. Baxfendy: An Additional Treatment for High Blood Pressure

Baxfendy is designed for patients whose blood pressure remains uncontrolled despite existing treatments.

Rather than replacing regular blood-pressure medicines, it gives doctors another option that can be added when current treatments are not sufficient.

The UAE became the first country in the world to approve the treatment, offering another potential option for people with difficult-to-control hypertension.

5. Inpefa: New Oral Treatment for Heart Failure

Inpefa, or sotagliflozin, is an oral treatment for heart failure. The UAE became the second country globally to authorise the medicine.

For eligible patients, it provides another way to help reduce complications associated with heart failure and serious cardiovascular problems. The treatment may also provide benefits related to kidney health and blood sugar control.

6. EURneffy: Adrenaline Without an Injection

One of the most straightforward changes for patients comes with EURneffy, a nasal spray containing epinephrine, also known as adrenaline.

It is designed for use during severe allergic reactions. Instead of requiring an injection, eligible adults and children can receive the medicine through the nose.

This could make emergency treatment easier to administer, particularly in situations where quickly delivering adrenaline is critical.

7. Miebo: A New Option for Dry-Eye Disease

Miebo is a prescription eye drop for dry-eye disease. Unlike conventional drops that primarily add moisture, it works by targeting excessive tear evaporation.

The treatment gives doctors another option for patients experiencing symptoms such as burning, irritation, blurred vision and eye discomfort, particularly when excessive evaporation contributes to the condition.

8. Etcamah: Targeted Treatment for Certain Breast Cancers

Etcamah is intended for a specific group of breast cancer patients rather than everyone with the disease.

It is aimed at patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer whose tumours develop an ESR1 mutation while they are receiving hormone treatment.

For eligible patients, the medicine provides another targeted treatment option when cancer begins to develop resistance to existing hormone therapy.

9. Itvisma: One-Time Gene Therapy for SMA

Itvisma is a one-time gene therapy for eligible patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness.

Unlike treatments that mainly manage symptoms, gene therapy targets the underlying genetic cause of the disease. For eligible patients, this approach could reduce the need for repeated treatments.

10. RINVOQ: A Pill for Vitiligo

The UAE became the first country globally to approve RINVOQ, or upadacitinib, for non-segmental vitiligo.

Although RINVOQ was already used for other medical conditions, the new approval expands its use to vitiligo. The once-daily oral medicine works throughout the body, giving eligible patients another treatment option, particularly when treating individual skin patches may not be sufficient.

What Do These Approvals Mean for Patients?

The new approvals expand the range of treatment choices available in the UAE. Some medicines offer needle-free alternatives, while others introduce targeted therapies or gene therapy for specific conditions.

However, regulatory approval does not necessarily mean a medicine will be immediately available to every patient or automatically covered by insurance.

Availability and insurance coverage can depend on factors including the patient's medical condition, prescription and insurance policy.

Patients should consult their doctors to determine whether an approved treatment is appropriate for their individual circumstances.