How to access Enhertu from the UAE — the named-patient import pathway, 2026
By Reserve Meds · Clinical & regulatory team · Last reviewed 2026-04-23
A UAE patient with HER2-positive or HER2-low metastatic breast cancer — or with HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer or HER2-mutant non-small cell lung cancer — may receive a prescription for Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan, also known as T-DXd) from their treating oncologist. Enhertu is FDA-approved, developed by AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo, and has become a widely used option across HER2-driven solid tumours. In the UAE, Enhertu access through hospital pharmacies can vary by indication and supply timing, which is why your oncologist may be navigating a named-patient import pathway on your behalf.
This guide explains the pathway, what documentation your physician needs, typical timing and costs, and where Reserve Meds fits in.
The clinical situation
Enhertu is an antibody-drug conjugate that couples a HER2-targeted antibody with a topoisomerase I inhibitor payload. It is given as an intravenous infusion on a three-week cycle in an outpatient oncology setting. Eligibility is based on HER2 status established by IHC or in-situ hybridisation on a tumour biopsy. Pivotal studies have demonstrated extended progression-free survival in HER2-positive and HER2-low metastatic breast cancer cohorts relative to prior standards. Your oncologist will confirm HER2 status, prior line history, and baseline lung imaging, because interstitial lung disease monitoring is part of on-treatment care per FDA labeling.
Is Enhertu legally importable into the UAE?
Yes — through the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) named-patient import framework. Parallel authority in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi operates through the Department of Health (DoH) and in Dubai through the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), depending on where the prescribing facility is located. The named-patient mechanism allows a UAE-licensed physician to import a medicine not locally registered when: (a) the medicine is approved by a recognised reference authority such as the US FDA, (b) no clinically equivalent locally registered alternative is suitable for the patient, (c) the physician takes clinical responsibility, and (d) the importing party documents chain of custody.
For Enhertu specifically, the pathway benefits from the fact that this is a cold-chain biologic administered in an outpatient infusion setting — most UAE private and university hospitals already have the infrastructure and protocols to receive and deliver it under the named-patient framework.
How the pathway works, step by step
- Consultation with your treating oncologist. The decision to prescribe Enhertu is a clinical one, supported by HER2 testing and a written rationale.
- Infusion facility identification. An oncology day-unit or infusion suite with cold-chain storage capability is confirmed.
- MoHAP named-patient application. Your physician or the hospital pharmacy files the application, including clinical rationale, patient reference, product details, and chain-of-custody plan.
- US-side sourcing. Reserve Meds coordinates with our US-licensed specialty wholesale partner to secure the product from authorised distribution.
- Cold-chain shipment. The product ships with continuous temperature monitoring and chain-of-custody documentation, matching the manufacturer's storage specifications.
- Arrival and first infusion. The hospital pharmacy receives the product and releases doses for administration on your cycle schedule.
What documentation your physician needs
Your physician will typically need to provide:
- A clinical rationale letter confirming HER2 status, diagnosis, prior therapies, and Enhertu as the indicated next-line treatment
- Verification of their UAE medical licence
- Identification of the administering infusion facility
- Patient identifier (anonymised reference where possible, for privacy)
- The planned dosing cycle (typically 5.4 mg/kg every three weeks, with baseline and follow-up imaging)
Reserve Meds provides a physician documentation kit that bundles the templates most MoHAP reviewers expect to see, including the ILD surveillance plan that MoHAP reviewers tend to ask about for T-DXd.
Costs and timing
Enhertu's US cash-pay reference price is set per 100 mg vial, with typical course costs driven by patient weight and duration on therapy. Indicative 2026 per-cycle cost for a standard adult patient sits in a broad range of roughly USD 14,000–20,000; a full multi-cycle course can run substantially more. Cold-chain logistics, MoHAP documentation handling, and concierge coordination add incremental cost. Reserve Meds issues a full transparent quote at the start of intake.
Indicative timing — not guaranteed — for the first infusion after cohort intake opens is approximately 10–21 days from the moment a complete application is submitted to MoHAP. Subsequent cycles ship on a rolling basis against your infusion calendar.
Reserve Meds is in pre-launch. Fulfillment availability is limited to our first cohort, and all timelines published on this site are indicative. If your clinical situation is time-sensitive, flag that when you join the waitlist — we triage accordingly.
Reserve Meds's role
Reserve Meds is a US-based concierge coordinator for cross-border specialty medicine. For Enhertu specifically, we provide:
- Sourcing. Through our US-licensed specialty wholesale partner, operating under DSCSA chain-of-custody.
- Documentation. Regulatory package for your physician and for MoHAP review.
- Logistics. Cold-chain, temperature-monitored shipment coordination.
- Concierge case lead. A named point of contact for your family and your physician throughout the cycle sequence.
What we do not do: we are not the prescriber, we do not practise medicine, and we are not the dispensing pharmacy. All clinical decisions remain with your treating oncologist and the administering infusion facility. We operate on a waitlist basis during our pre-launch phase.
Frequently asked
Is this legal in the UAE? Yes, when executed through the MoHAP (or DoH/DHA) named-patient framework with appropriate documentation. Cross-border named-patient import is a routine mechanism used across UAE oncology. See our trust and compliance page.
My wife has HER2-low disease — does Enhertu apply? Enhertu's FDA label was expanded to include HER2-low metastatic breast cancer based on pivotal study data. Your oncologist will confirm whether the HER2-low indication fits your specific case.
What if there is a locally registered HER2 therapy? MoHAP reviewers look at whether the locally registered option is clinically equivalent for your case. If it is not — for example because you have already progressed on prior HER2-directed therapy — the named-patient rationale is typically supported.
Can my physician monitor me in the UAE after each infusion? Yes. Enhertu is administered in an outpatient setting and on-treatment monitoring (imaging, pulmonary assessment) is conducted locally by your oncology team.
Will private insurance cover this? Cash-pay is the default. Some UAE insurers consider reimbursement for named-patient imports on a case-by-case basis; we supply documentation for your submission but do not process insurance claims directly.
Next step — join the first-cohort waitlist
Reserve Meds is opening to a limited first cohort in 2026. Add your case to the waitlist and our concierge case lead will reach out when we are ready to enter intake for Enhertu coordination in the UAE.
Add me to the Enhertu waitlistComposite case examples. Reserve Meds is in pre-launch. This content is for general information and does not constitute medical advice.
Clinical & regulatory review: Reserve Meds clinical team and AI regulatory-counsel review pipeline. Last medically reviewed: 2026-04-23.