United Arab Emirates

A deal between Stada Arzneimittel and Adcan Pharma will see the former exclusively market and commercialize in the UAE a portfolio of 15 consumer healthcare products produced and supplied by the latter.

J&J says it has “exhausted all current viable avenues” to get its antidepressant nasal spray Spravato reimbursed on England’s National Health Service, after NICE decided against re-appraising the drug following numerous funding rejections.

Firm operating in London, India and United Arab Emirates says its “Ultra Factory” will open in Indiana within the next six months with end-to-end production based on its operational facility in India.

Firm operating in London, India and United Arab Emirates says its “Ultra Factory” will open in Indiana within the next six months with end-to-end production based on its operational facility in India.

Facilitating and strengthening R&D, intellectual property rights protection and drug safety are among the goals of the soon-to-be-launched Emirates Drug Establishment. Despite the name, the entity is also responsible for device regulation.

Facilitating and strengthening R&D, intellectual property rights protection and drug safety are among the goals of the soon-to-be-launched Emirates Drug Establishment.

Having recently added to its biosimilars alliance with Alvotech, Dubai-based Bioventure says it is looking to expand its international reach through further partnerships.

UK R&D firm Futura Medical strikes third commercial agreement for its drug-free erectile dysfunction treatment MED3000, this time with Switzerland’s Labatec Pharma, which will take the drug-free gel to the Middle East. 

UAE-based Julphar’s Q2 report marks a significant milestone in the firm’s gradual recovery from a series of export bans three years ago. The latest figures show a return to profit, following a refinancing plan agreed with shareholders in 2020.  

There is growing in interest in boosting the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by administering a different vaccine as the second dose.

Saudi Arabia is set to introduce a new pricing policy that will affect the rest of the region.

Sandoz has appointed a new leader for its Japanese business following the acquisition of Aspen’s local operations, while Stada has brought in a former Sandoz and Pfizer executive to lead its Ciclum Farma unit in Portugal. Meanwhile, Julphar has a new CEO.

Pfizer Upjohn’s Global President of R&D and Medical, Amrit Ray, discusses in a wide-ranging interview the need for tailored interventions to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and efforts around harnessing real world data. He also underscores the importance of investing in primary care and a primary health workforce against the backdrop of outbreaks such as coronavirus.

Several US House members are backing a new piece of legislation that would give the US Food and Drug Administration the authority to destroy counterfeit devices when they arrive at points of entry into the country. A Johnson & Johnson executive who specializes in global brand protection provided dramatic testimony before a House health panel on 29 January on the need for the anti-counterfeiting bill.

France's HRA is looking to tap into consumer demand for foot care products in the Middle East by rolling out its Compeed brand in select markets across the region.

Takeda is shedding some unwanted OTC assets in a number of emerging markets as part of its efforts to pay down debt and focus its portfolio following its acquisition of Shire. 

The United Arab Emirates health ministry is cutting the prices of more than 400 generic drugs by as much as 77% as it seeks to reduce rising healthcare costs.

As it struggles to restore exports to one of its key markets, Saudi Arabia, following a facility inspection, UAE-based Julphar is continuing to post large losses on tumbling turnover.

The UAE, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have all recently announced or implemented new verification/abridged regulatory pathways to improve access to medicines and free up resources.

The United Arab Emirates has published a new decree setting out procedures for accelerated reviews of innovative and orphan medicines, creating a new standard for the rest of the gulf region.