Mubadala Bio taps Egypt's Marcyrl to localise fertility and respiratory medicines in the UAE

Medicines covering fertility, pregnancy and childbirth, treatments for common gynaecological and hormonal conditions, and a respiratory range spanning metered dose inhalers, dry powder inhalers, nebulisation solutions and nasal sprays are set to be localised and distributed in the UAE under a strategic partnership between Mubadala Bio and Cairo-based Marcyrl Pharmaceutical Industries.

“Localising pharmaceutical products is central to building a resilient life sciences ecosystem in the UAE,” said Dr Essam Mohamed, Group Chief Executive Officer of Mubadala Bio, who signed the agreement with Marcyrl Group Chief Executive Officer Dr George Saad at the Future Health Summit in Abu Dhabi. “Women's health is a priority therapy area for Mubadala Bio and our partnership with Marcyrl, which also includes respiratory medicines, allows us to localise a comprehensive portfolio of products and expand access to important treatments across the UAE.”

The companies said further products are expected to join both portfolios over time. Neither has disclosed the value of the agreement, the number of products covered, a launch timeline or the facility that will handle localisation.

Partners now span three continents

Mubadala Investment Company launched Mubadala Bio in May 2025 with 10 facilities across Asia, Africa and Europe, six of them in the UAE, an annual capacity above 2.5 billion tablets and capsules plus 120 million intravenous and injectable units, and distribution of more than 10,000 products to over 100 countries. “We are taking a transformative step towards strengthening national drug security,” Dr Bakheet Al Katheeri, CEO of Mubadala's UAE Investments Platform, said at the launch.

The Marcyrl agreement follows a run of deals this year. In February, Mohamed signed a memorandum of understanding with the Emirates Drug Establishment at World Health Expo 2026 aimed at localising vital drug industries, attracting high-value investment and building the UAE's strategic reserves of medicines. In June, Mubadala Bio agreed a licensing and supply deal with Argentina's Biosidus at the BIO International Convention in San Diego, to localise biologics used in endocrinology, nephrology and oncology through its DiabTec facility. In July, it began producing eight hospital dialysis products at its Wellpharma facility in Abu Dhabi, the first time such solutions had been made locally, according to Enterprise citing WAM.

Marcyrl's backers want growth beyond Egypt

Founded in 1998, Marcyrl focuses on specialty generics with particular strength in hormonal and respiratory therapies, manufactures some medicines under licence from multinational partners and exports across the Middle East and Africa. Development Partners International and Amethis acquired a significant minority stake in the company in 2023, when it ranked among Egypt's 10 leading pharmaceutical firms.

“Significant runway for growth, both locally, but also outside of Egypt,” Amethis partner Toufic Khoueiry told Enterprise at the time, explaining the investment. The investors said they would support Marcyrl in replicating its Egyptian performance in new markets, including through digitalisation of its manufacturing and distribution networks.

“This partnership marks an important step in expanding access to essential medicines in the UAE and across the GCC,” said Saad. “By combining Marcyrl Group's manufacturing expertise in women's health, fertility and respiratory care with Mubadala Bio's regional platform, we will advance localisation, strengthen healthcare resilience and improve patient access to quality treatments.”

Fertility care remains unevenly funded worldwide

The World Health Organization published its first global infertility guideline in November 2025, estimating that infertility affects one in six people of reproductive age at some point in their lives and setting out 40 recommendations on prevention, diagnosis and treatment. “One of the most overlooked public health challenges of our time,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of the condition.

The WHO also noted that in several countries patients bear most of the cost of fertility tests and treatment, often leading to severe financial strain. Whether localisation lowers prices for UAE patients is a question the Mubadala Bio and Marcyrl announcement does not address.

“We now need to take action, and we have the blueprint to do it,” said Dr Lucy Pérez, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and co-leader of the McKinsey Health Institute, as the institute and the World Economic Forum published a January 2025 report estimating that closing the gap on nine women's health conditions could unlock $400 billion in global annual GDP by 2040. Earlier research by the two organisations found that women spend 25% more of their lives in debilitating conditions than men, with 60% of that gap falling in prime working years.

Supply security is driving the deal flow

Saudi Arabia offers a parallel case. Regulatory consultancy Freyr Solutions describes 2026 as a decisive year for the Saudi Food and Drug Authority as the Kingdom accelerates its push toward generics, active pharmaceutical ingredients and local manufacturing to reduce import reliance, with global manufacturers encouraged to partner with local producers.

The UAE market itself is modest by global standards, valued at $4.15 billion in 2024, according to IMARC Group, which identifies technology transfer partnerships between international and local companies as a key lever for reducing import dependency and strengthening supply chain resilience. Saad's reference to the wider GCC suggests the partners see the UAE as a base for regional supply, though no export plans have been detailed.