03-07-2025
Abu Dhabi becomes first outside US to offer groundbreaking IBD medication
In a groundbreaking healthcare milestone, Abu Dhabi has become the first region outside the United States to offer Tremfya, a next-generation biologic medication for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
This comes following a strategic partnership between the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), Johnson & Johnson, and Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC).
The collaboration was announced on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi's participation at the BIO International Convention in Boston, marking a significant step forward in the emirate's position as a pioneering destination for healthcare innovation.
Following recent FDA approval for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease in the United States, and the European Commission's approval for Crohn's disease, the DoH accelerated efforts to bring this treatment to local patients. The results have been remarkable – SSMC has already begun treating 15 patients within two months of the treatment's launch.
Dr Mohammed Nabil Quraishi, Consultant Gastroenterologist and Director of the IBD Service at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, emphasized the immediate impact: "Being the first in the country to administer this novel therapy was a vital first step, but to have already started treatment for 15 patients in under two months of its launch demonstrates the tangible, widespread benefit we can deliver."
The first patient in Abu Dhabi to receive Tremfya experienced notable improvement, with symptoms significantly declining despite having longstanding treatment-resistant Crohn's disease.
