As of 1st January 2016, prices of 142 innovative drugs will be reduced as part of the UAE Ministry of Health's 6th initiative of 'Reduction in Medicine Prices', a top health official announced yesterday following an extensive meeting with heads and managers of 24 major international pharmaceutical companies, their local agents, and representatives of local pharmaceutical industry as well as nearly 100 officials and pharmacologists.

Dr. Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Under-Secretary for Public Health and Licensing and Vice Chairman of the Drug Pricing and Registration Higher Committee, expressed gratitude to the MoH's strategic local, regional and international pharmaceutical partners for launching the sixth initiative, noting that this constructive and positive cooperation had brought many benefits to patients, basically those suffering from chronic, viral, cardiac, neurological and cancer diseases.

Other benefit, he added, include encouragement of investment in the health sector through formation of strategic partnerships based on mutual confidence, interaction and transparency and community support and provision of high quality products at affordable prices to all segments in the local community while maintaining an environment that fosters innovation and investment.

'The sixth initiative covers 142 medicines manufactured by 22 major drugs makers in the United States, Europe and Australia,' he said, noting that the optional, proportionate reduction of products makes price of medicines in the UAE lower than in other Gulf countries.

Speaking about classes of reduced products, Al Amir said majority of drugs (106) are for treatment of central nervous disorders, followed by obstetrics, gynaecology and urinary tract disorders (13), malignant disease and immunosuppression (7), ear, nose and oropharynx (6) and nutrition and blood medicines (4).

The ministry previously applied five initiatives to reduce drugs as follows: 1-Initiative one for 565 innovative drugs (01 July 2011) 2-Initiative two for 115 generic drugs (01 January 2012) 3-Initiative three for 6,791 innovative drugs (01 June 2013) 4-Initiative four for 207 innovative drugs (01January 2014) 5-Initiative five for 280 innovative drugs (01 February 2015).