Pharma Solutions to bring in an affordable first generic drug for Thalassemia Patients in UAE

• Critical Care medicines distributor reinforces UAE Government’s commitment to save and sustain life. 

• Pharma Solutions aims to bring and launch products focused on the treatment of rare and critical diseases. 

Dubai, UAE: With the aim of reducing the cost of treatment for Thalassemia patients significantly, the specialist critical care medicines provider, Pharma Solutions, today announced their plan to bring in cost effective, first generic drug “Irofin- Deferiprone” to UAE which will effectively reduce the cost of treatment by 40%.

Pharma Solutions’ specialization  in the critical care segment with bio similar drugs is in alignment with UAE’s strategy to decrease costs of medicines and improve the supply and distribution.

Thalassemia has been identified as a significant global and frequently-occurring monogenic disorder. United Arab Emirates records the highest carrier frequency worldwide close to 49% of α-thalassemia trait.  The second-most frequently observed hemoglobinopathy is the HbA2 β-thalassemia trait, which is at 4.56%. The high prevalence of thalassemia carriers within the country remains a significant health problem, given that there will be a 25% risk of having a baby with Thalassemia if both parents are carriers. 

People with thalassemia can get too much iron in their bodies, either from the disease or from frequent blood transfusions. Too much iron can result in damage to your heart, liver and endocrine system, which includes hormone-producing glands that regulate processes throughout your body.

Deferiprone is an iron chelator indicated for the treatment of patients with transfusion iron overload due to thalassemia syndromes when current chelation therapy is inadequate.

Irofin is a widely accepted and approved drug globally manufactured in Switzerland. 

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Khurshid Zaidi, Managing Director, Pharma Solutions said, “Pharma Solutions was started with a drive to become a reliable and efficient solutions provider in the critical care sector. Out of my personal experience of how crippling can be the effects of a deadly disease like cancer have on patients, made me realize that we cannot prevent certain diseases entirelybut can certainly fight back. Having this on my mind since then, I decided to focus extensively on this niche of pharmaceutical solutions and identified related products to ease patients' suffering and make those products accessible at an affordable value. With the launch of ‘Irofin’ for Thalassemia patients, Pharma Solutions reiterates its vision to offer real-value medicines that help people of UAE to have an accelerated pathway to the critical-care treatments.”

In UAE where 85% of the Pharma distributors focus on OTC medicines, dermatology and health supplements, Pharma Solutions has invested in offering lifesaving products that can offer patients a chance. Started in 2013, the company embarked on a challenging but gratifying mission to bring in products treating critical, rare and infectious diseases such as Cancer, HIV, Hepatitis B and C, Thalassemia amongst others. Pharma Solutions envisions bridging the gap between patients critical care requirements of drugs and the actual availability and affordability by facilitating emergency handling and protocols, in-licensing, commercialisation, marketing, and distribution of FDA, EMEA approved critical care drugs. Today with presence in 14 countries across Middle East, Pharma Solutions is a leading distributor of major rare diseases, critical  care and autoimmune brands from multinational pharmaceutical companies such as Mylan/ Viatris, MDI, Vianex, Lipomed, Galenicum, Helsinn and MSN.

UAE Pharmaceutical market offers robust growth opportunities for Generic Drugs with new policies announced by the Government. The generic drug sector in UAE is forecasted to increase at a faster local currency compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.8% upto 2025. The increased use of generics would not only improve access to health care, but also make it affordable, putting UAE as a strong player on the global Pharma map.

Adding on to this, Khurshid Zaidi, said, “UAE has been a very competitive and growing market to work in, thanks to convenient business access, good environment and visionary leaders. We are committed in helping Government source first generic, critical care and orphan drugs even though there are challenges across supply chain. One such critical drug that needs mention is Penthrox, which is used by Dubai Ambulance, National Ambulance and Abudhabi Police besides private Hospitals for emergency pain management for conscious injured patients to reduce pain immediately. Apart from this, Lopinavir-Ritonavir is a product from one of our principals, which we are exclusively authorised to sell all over the Gulf region (It was one of COVID 19 treatment protocol). We are currently supplying this drug to government hospitals, Ministry of Health, Abu Dhabi Department of Health, Dubai Health Authority, Military hospitals, and private hospitals across the country.” 

Pharma Solutions will be exhibiting at upcoming Duphat 2022 from 22^nd to 24^th February, solidifying their commitment to becoming a leader in the critical care sector within the medical industry and further expands their footprints within the region.

© Press Release 2022