The Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) has approved RINVOQ (upadacitinib) for non-segmental vitiligo, making the UAE the first country in the world to clear an oral systemic treatment for the condition.
The approval, announced on 17 August 2026, covers adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older whose condition requires systemic therapy. RINVOQ is taken orally once daily at a dose of 15 mg.
What the RINVOQ approval for non-segmental vitiligo means for patients
Non-segmental vitiligo is the most common form of the condition, according to Emirates 24|7. Vitiligo causes white patches to appear on the skin when melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin, are destroyed. An autoimmune response is considered one of the main factors, though the exact cause is not fully understood. The condition is not contagious.
Vitiligo affects between 0.5 and 1 per cent of the global population and has no cure, meaning new treatment options carry weight for millions of people worldwide, The National reported. Existing options, depending on the type and extent of the condition, include topical medicines, phototherapy and laser-based treatments.
Dr Rekha Santosh, a specialist in dermatology and aesthetics at Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi, described the approval as ‘an important development’ because options for people with more extensive cases of the disease have remained limited.
The condition can be more visible in people with darker skin. Not every white patch indicates vitiligo, and the EDE urged anyone who notices unusual changes in skin colour to consult a specialist for proper assessment and diagnosis.
Where RINVOQ stands globally
The UAE approval follows the European Commission’s clearance of RINVOQ for the same indication on 29 July 2026, which made it the first and only systemic medication approved in the European Union for non-segmental vitiligo, according to the AbbVie newsroom. That EU approval was supported by data from the Phase 3 Viti-Up clinical programme, which showed RINVOQ achieved statistically significant total body repigmentation (T-VASI 50) and facial repigmentation (F-VASI 75) from baseline at week 48 versus placebo.
AbbVie submitted regulatory applications to the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency for upadacitinib in vitiligo on 3 February 2026, the company announced at the time. RINVOQ is already approved in the US and Europe for other chronic autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.
The EDE said its decision reflects the UAE’s regulatory framework and efforts to accelerate access to innovative treatments. The EDE was established on 29 September 2023 as the sole federal authority responsible for regulating medical and pharmaceutical products in the UAE, covering medical devices, biologics, stem cells, and veterinary and agricultural medicines, among others.
The US Food and Drug Administration’s review of the upadacitinib application for non-segmental vitiligo remains pending, according to Gulf News.
