Arab News | How Cinfa is advancing therapeutic relevance in Middle East

Over the past decade, Cinfa, a leading Spanish pharmaceutical company, has strategically built one of its most significant international footprints in the Middle East. Today, the region represents approximately 80 percent of Cinfa’s international revenue, making it the company’s most important international market and reflecting more than 12 years of sustained growth and commitment to local healthcare systems. Since entering the UAE in 2013, the company has expanded its presence across the GCC, with operations in the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and most recently through its launch in Bahrain and Iraq.

As health systems across the region continue to prioritize chronic disease management, regulatory maturity, and long-term system resilience, pharmaceutical companies are increasingly measured not only by the breadth of their portfolios, but by the credibility of their scientific engagement and their consistency over time.

Within this context, Cinfa’s next decade in the region will be shaped by a dual focus, aligned with its broader purpose of improving people’s lives through accessible healthcare solutions, while supporting sustainable healthcare systems across the region. On one hand, Cinfa seeks to expand into new markets while strengthening its portfolio in therapeutic areas that play a key role in chronic disease management. 

On the other hand, the aim is to collaborate with healthcare institutions and industry stakeholders in broader efforts to advance long-term system sustainability, regulatory development, and resilient models of care. This approach is underpinned by a longstanding commitment to quality and reliability, with more than 30 quality controls carried out on every Cinfa medicine before it reaches patients, helping ensure consistent standards across the markets in which the company operates.

Portfolio Relevance and Expansion

Cinfa entered the UAE market in 2013 within key therapeutic areas and has since expanded steadily across a diversified portfolio including cardiology, urology, and central nervous system therapies, in addition to infectious diseases, gastroenterology, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and oncology. The company has continued to strengthen its regional presence through a portfolio positioned around long-term clinical relevance, accessibility, and established scientific credibility, with the aim of supporting patients living with chronic and often lifelong conditions across the region.

This trajectory unfolds against a backdrop of significant chronic disease prevalence across the region. In 2019, there were over 50 million cases of cardiovascular disease, according to the World Health Organization. It is estimated that, without action, this number could more than double to 108 million by 2045. In addition, nearly 85 million adults live with diabetes, according to the International Diabetes Federation. Across the GCC, cardiometabolic conditions continue to shape healthcare priorities, prevention strategies, and long-term system planning.

At a time when chronic conditions continue to affect millions across the region, Cinfa’s regional focus remains rooted in supporting patients’ everyday healthcare needs through established therapies, scientific engagement, and collaboration with healthcare professionals who play a critical role in long-term disease management.

Cinfa also actively participates in regional congresses and scientific forums, such as the Annual Conference of the Saudi Heart Association and the International Conference on Psychiatry. Through these platforms, the company showcases its therapeutic portfolio and supports educational sessions and expert-led discussions, contributing to the advancement of clinical knowledge and reinforcing its commitment to accessible, evidence-based therapies that improve patient outcomes. 

The next decade: consolidation and contribution

As Cinfa looks ahead, its regional strategy centers on deepening its presence within priority therapeutic areas, through targeted portfolio expansion, a consistent cadence of launches, and continued investment in scientific engagement. The objective is not simply to broaden therapeutic coverage, but to ensure healthcare professionals and patients have access to trusted therapies in areas of sustained clinical need.

This approach is closely aligned with the healthcare priorities emerging across the GCC, where governments are increasingly focused on prevention, chronic disease management, healthcare sustainability, and improving patient outcomes. As a result, Cinfa continues to prioritize high-burden therapy areas including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders including diabetes, thrombosis management, women’s health, and chronic conditions linked to renal and lipid disorders, which reflects both current demand and future healthcare priorities.

In a region experiencing rapid healthcare transformation, Cinfa sees its role as extending beyond medicines alone. By combining portfolio relevance, scientific partnership, quality, and a patient-first purpose, Cinfa works closely with healthcare professionals and institutions, tailoring its engagement to local market needs and contributing to scientific dialogue in line with evolving regulatory frameworks across the GCC, helping improve access to care for the communities it serves across the Middle East.