Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE), the federal medicines regulator
Is Orforglipron legal in United Arab Emirates?
The regulator has approved it as a medicine.
The Emirates Drug Establishment announced approval of Foundayo (orforglipron), an oral GLP-1 medicine from Eli Lilly, on 3 April 2026 for chronic weight management in adults, and it became available from May 2026. Khaleej Times names endocrinologists, obesity specialists and internal medicine specialists as the recommended prescribers. Abu Dhabi's Department of Health said on 24 April 2026 that it will be covered for adults eligible for its Personalised Weight Management Programme; elsewhere insurance coverage is unclear. The EDE's own announcement page could not be retrieved; the approval is confirmed by TradeArabia and Khaleej Times reports and by the EDE's first-half 2026 report carried by the state news agency WAM.
Last verified 2026-09-29 · how we verify
Orforglipron elsewhere
Sources (6)
- 01Emirates Drug Establishment approves oral obesity treatmentTradeArabia · 2026-04-03 · accessed 2026-09-29
- 02UAE authority approves new oral obesity treatment to be available from MayKhaleej Times · 2026-04-03 · accessed 2026-09-29
- 03New obesity pill approved in UAE: Who can get it, availability, prescription explainedKhaleej Times · 2026-04-17 · accessed 2026-09-29
- 04Abu Dhabi Expands Access to Innovative Daily Oral Obesity Treatment, Enhancing Outcomes and Quality of LifeDepartment of Health Abu Dhabi · 2026-04-24 · accessed 2026-09-29
- 05New obesity pills soon in UAE: Will your insurance cover Foundayo or Wegovy?Khaleej Times · 2026-04-23 · accessed 2026-09-29
- 06Emirates Drug Establishment boosts pharmaceutical readiness in H1 2026Emirates News Agency (WAM) · 2026-09-22 · accessed 2026-09-29