The Emirates Dermatology Society has announced plans to officially unveil a new oral treatment for vitiligo in Dubai. Dr Ayman Al Nuaimi, president of the society, said at the opening of the 10th Emirates Dermatology Conference on Friday, November 6, 2026, that the treatment would be introduced during the event. He also described the UAE as the first country in the world to approve the treatment, a claim that requires clarification given the earlier European Union authorisation of the oral drug Rinvoq.

According to the Emirates News Agency, WAM, the three-day conference runs until Sunday, November 8, at InterContinental Dubai Festival City, with more than 500 doctors and specialists from various countries attending. Alongside the unveiling of the new vitiligo treatment, the event will present and examine the latest treatments for skin diseases, including a new generation of biologic medicines for psoriasis and the use of artificial intelligence in diagnosing dermatological conditions.

Although Friday’s report did not name the drug or its manufacturer, the Emirates Drug Establishment had previously approved a new indication for the oral drug Rinvoq, which contains the active ingredient upadacitinib and is manufactured by US pharmaceutical company AbbVie, for the treatment of non-segmental vitiligo on August 17, 2026.

Non-segmental vitiligo, the most common form of the condition, typically causes symmetrical white patches on both sides of the body. Rinvoq was approved for adults and adolescents aged 12 and above who require systemic treatment, meaning medication that acts throughout the body via the bloodstream.

Rinvoq, taken as a once-daily tablet, belongs to a class of drugs known as Janus kinase inhibitors, or JAK inhibitors. It had previously been approved in the United States and Europe to treat several chronic autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis and atopic dermatitis, or eczema. By suppressing part of the immune system’s activity, the drug helps control the condition and restore skin pigmentation.

Results from two Phase III clinical trials involving a total of 614 patients, also published in the medical journal The Lancet, showed that after 48 weeks of treatment, about 23 to 25 per cent of Rinvoq recipients achieved at least a 75 per cent improvement in the extent and severity of facial depigmentation, compared with about 6 to 7 per cent in the placebo group. Whole-body vitiligo scores improved by at least 50 per cent in about 19 to 22 per cent of patients, compared with approximately 6 per cent among those receiving a placebo.

However, Rinvoq is not a definitive cure for vitiligo and will not be suitable for every patient. According to Al Etihad newspaper, dermatologists in Abu Dhabi say the drug would not usually be the first treatment option for people with a few small, stable patches. Instead, it is more likely to be used for patients with extensive or spreading depigmentation, who should not expect an immediate return of skin colour. Because of the risk of side effects such as serious infections and shingles, treatment also requires an initial assessment, appropriate testing and regular monitoring by a specialist.

There is also an important qualification regarding the UAE’s claim of global leadership. In its August 17 statement, the Emirates Drug Establishment described the UAE as the first country to approve Rinvoq’s new indication. However, the European Commission had authorised the same drug for treating non-segmental vitiligo in adults and adolescents aged 12 and above on July 29, 2026, nearly three weeks earlier. In a September 8 report citing the Emirates Drug Establishment, Al Etihad described the UAE as the first country to approve the indication independently and outside the framework of a multinational union. According to AbbVie, the drug’s use for vitiligo remained under review by the US Food and Drug Administration as of early October.

Vitiligo is not contagious. It is caused by the destruction of melanocytes, the cells that produce skin pigment, primarily as a result of autoimmune reactions. Gulf News reported that the condition affects between 0.5 and 1 per cent of the global population. Current standard treatments include topical medicines, phototherapy and laser treatment.

The official reports reviewed have not yet provided details on the price of Rinvoq or when it will become widely available in UAE pharmacies for the treatment of vitiligo.