The UAE has become the first country in the world to approve a new treatment for patients whose blood pressure remains high despite taking medication, offering fresh hope to people living with hard-to-control hypertension.
The Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) announced on Monday that it had approved Baxfendy, an innovative medicine developed by AstraZeneca for patients whose blood pressure remains inadequately controlled even after using existing treatments.
The medicine contains active substance baxdrostat and will be available in 1mg and 2mg doses and is designed to be used alongside other antihypertensive medicines.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels
The approval is significant because hypertension remains one of the UAE’s biggest health concerns, with estimates showing that nearly one in three adults in the country is affected by the condition.
While several treatment options already exist, doctors said that many patients continue to struggle with uncontrolled blood pressure despite taking multiple medications, a condition often referred to as resistant hypertension.
According to the EDE, the UAE is the first country globally to authorise the treatment, highlighting the country’s push to speed up access to advanced therapies and strengthen pharmaceutical innovation.
The medicine works by blocking an enzyme responsible for producing aldosterone, a hormone linked to blood pressure regulation. By targeting the underlying mechanism behind resistant hypertension, the treatment aims to help patients who do not respond well to conventional therapies.
“Approving this treatment is yet another significant step towards enabling advanced medical solutions that precisely target disease pathways, particularly in cases that do not respond to traditional options, while ensuring uninterrupted access for patients,” said Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, director general of the Emirates Drug Establishment.
She added that the authority is focused on accelerating approval and access to innovative treatments through flexible regulatory frameworks aligned with national health priorities.
“This ensures timely patient access to innovative treatments and delivers tangible improvements in clinical outcomes,” she said. “It also strengthens the system’s readiness to address chronic diseases efficiently and sustainably, ultimately enhancing quality of life and overall community wellbeing.”
Sameh El Fangary, president, GCC at AstraZeneca, described the approval as an important step in expanding treatment choices for hypertension patients in the UAE.
“The UAE’s approval of Baxfendy marks a significant step forward in expanding treatment options for hypertension and reflects strong confidence in the scientific evidence supporting the therapy,” he said.
The approval was based on positive results from two Phase III clinical trials of BaxHTN and Bax24, which showed statistically significant reductions in uncontrolled blood pressure when the treatment was used alongside standard therapies.
The Emirates Drug Establishment said the move forms part of broader efforts to strengthen pharmaceutical security and ensure sustainable access to innovative medicines, while improving the preparedness of the UAE’s healthcare system to tackle chronic diseases.
Source: Khaleej Times