Abu Dhabi grants early access to new hypertension medication

Abu Dhabi: The Department of Health, Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the emirate, has introduced a groundbreaking medication for patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, making the Emirate the first in the region to offer such medication.

The advancement represents a significant step forward in enhancing patient care and healthcare outcomes for individuals with this condition.

Administered via subcutaneous injection once in every three weeks in specified doses, Winrevair can be self-administered by patients or caregivers under medical supervision.

The medication works by targeting and inhibiting specific signalling pathways that drive the excessive proliferation of cells in the pulmonary blood vessels. This process helps to reduce vascular narrowing, allowing for improved blood flow and alleviating strain on the cardiovascular system. Winrevair is used alongside other standard treatments to reduce mortality risks in low to moderate risk patients.

Winrevair is a medicine used to improve the ability to exercise in adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Patients with PAH have an abnormally high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs, causing symptoms such as breathlessness and fatigue.

The first batch of Winrevair developed by MSD — a leading global biopharmaceutical company — arrived this month, marking a significant milestone.

Approved by both the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), clinical studies have demonstrated that adding Winrevair to standard treatment protocols may reduce the risk of fatal and non-fatal clinical worsening events by 84 per cent. It also improves patients’ exercise capacity and reduces pulmonary vascular resistance. These outcomes suggest the potential to extend patients’ average life expectancy by over ten years when combined with current standard therapies.

Global statistics indicate that Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension affects between 15 to 60 people per million, with women comprising 70 to 80 per cent of cases. The condition is most prevalent among individuals aged 50 to 65