Prime Highlight
- Doctors at Tawam Hospital successfully treated two rare inflammatory diseases with Rilonacept for the first time in the UAE and GCC.
- The success highlights Abu Dhabi’s world-class healthcare capabilities and reinforces Tawam Hospital’s role as a regional hub for autoimmune and rheumatic disease care.
Key Facts
- Rilonacept blocks interleukin-1, reducing severe symptoms such as high fever, chest pain, rash, and swelling.
- The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi approved the drug through a fast-track process and assigned a unique code to simplify insurance coverage for patients.
Background
Doctors at Tawam Hospital, part of SEHA under PureHealth, have made a major medical breakthrough by successfully using the drug Rilonacept to treat two rare inflammatory diseases for the first time in the UAE and GCC.
The treatment helped two young Emirati patients recover from Adult-Onset Still’s Disease (AOSD) and idiopathic recurrent pericarditis, both of which had not responded to earlier treatments.
Rilonacept is a biologic medicine that blocks interleukin-1, a protein that causes inflammation in the body. The drug blocks it and reduces severe symptoms like high fever, chest pain, rash, swelling, and shortness of breath. The treatment led to a major improvement in the patients’ health and overall quality of life.
The Department of Health –Abu Dhabi approved the use of the drug under a fast-track process, ensuring patients could access it quickly. The department’s Life Sciences team supported the approval and gave the drug a unique code to help patients with insurance get treatment more easily. This shows Abu Dhabi’s efforts to bring new therapies to patients faster.
Dr. Khalid Abdullah Alnaqbi, Head of Rheumatology at Tawam Hospital, said the success shows the hospital’s growing role as a regional center of excellence for autoimmune and rheumatic diseases. Dr. Dalal Al Mansoori, Executive Medical Director, added that offering such advanced care within the UAE proves Abu Dhabi’s ability to deliver world-class, patient-focused healthcare locally.
