Cinfa, an international pharmaceutical company, has launched its UAE Scientific Office in Dubai as part of a strategy to strengthen local pharmaceutical capabilities and support the country’s healthcare and localisation priorities. The UAE will serve as the company’s first pharmaceutical localisation hub outside Spain, following more than a decade of operations in the region.
Since entering the Middle East through the UAE in 2013, Cinfa has expanded into Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Iraq. The company currently markets more than 100 product references across the region.
The new Scientific Office will strengthen local expertise in regulatory affairs, quality assurance and pharmacovigilance, while supporting collaboration with healthcare authorities, institutions and other national stakeholders.
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Cinfa plans to implement its localisation strategy in two phases. In the first phase, 12 products will be evaluated, with five regulatory dossiers expected to become available between 2026 and 2027. These products target therapeutic areas including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, central nervous system disorders and urology. The company expects earlier integration of UAE requirements to accelerate eligible product launches by an average of approximately two years.
Following regulatory approval, secondary packaging and batch release will be conducted locally through qualified pharmaceutical manufacturing partners. Cinfa has already signed an agreement with UAE-based manufacturer Lifepharma.
“The UAE has created an environment in which international expertise and national priorities can come together to build meaningful, long-term healthcare capabilities”, said Franc Vives Ribera, Chief International Officer for Cinfa Group. “With the launch of our Scientific Office, we are committed to supporting the UAE’s healthcare vision through closer scientific collaboration, local knowledge development, and a more integrated approach to bringing medicines closer and faster to patients.”
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The second phase aims to expand technology transfer and enable local manufacturing of selected medicines through UAE-based partners. The longer-term plan includes developing the UAE into a regional production hub serving Middle Eastern and potentially international markets.
The initiative aligns with the UAE’s broader efforts to strengthen pharmaceutical resilience, develop domestic manufacturing capabilities and improve access to medicines.
