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Multiple sclerosis (MS): US-approved treatments and how Gulf families can access them

Creator: Reserve Meds
Published: 2026-10-17

A plain guide for families in the Gulf, checked against US FDA labels, Gulf drug registers and published medical research.

Reviewed by the Reserve Meds clinical operations team on 17 October 2026.

Multiple sclerosis: the short answer

The US FDA has approved eight medicines on this page for multiple sclerosis, each for specific patients. Eight of them are on at least one Gulf register we checked, so ask your hospital about local supply first. Otherwise the hospital can request a named-patient import. Reserve Meds is a digital health company. We do not diagnose or prescribe.

US FDA-approved medicines on this page: Ocrevus, Kesimpta, Briumvi, Tysabri, Zeposia, Mayzent, Ponvory and Tecfidera.
Gulf registration (checked 17 October 2026): see each medicine below.
Legal route: Local supply where listed; otherwise a named-patient import request filed by the treating hospital.
Price: Quote on request.

What is multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the brain and spinal cord. It damages myelin, the protective coating around nerve cells, so messages between the brain and body slow down or get blocked. Many experts consider it an autoimmune disease.^[1]

MS usually begins between ages 20 and 40. Symptoms vary and can include tingling or numbness, pain, muscle stiffness, weakness, trouble walking, poor bladder control and vision problems such as blurred or double vision. The most common type is relapsing-remitting MS, which affects about 80 percent of people with MS.^[2]

Treatment aims to manage relapses and prevent new attacks and disability with long-term disease-modifying therapies. In the US, many medicines are approved for relapsing forms of MS, and one is also approved for primary progressive MS.^{[3, 4]}

Multiple sclerosis in the Gulf

Experts from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries report that the prevalence of MS is increasing in the region.^[3]

A study of 249 people in Kuwait whose MS began before age 18 found that 70.3% were female and 83.5% remained in a relapsing-remitting pattern at the last visit.^[5]

US FDA-approved medicines for multiple sclerosis

Each medicine below is approved in the US for a specific group of patients. The wording summarizes the current US label. Your specialist decides whether any of them is right for the patient.

Ocrevus (ocrelizumab)
FDA-approved for adults with relapsing forms of MS (including clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting and active secondary progressive disease), adults with primary progressive MS, and children 10 years and older weighing at least 25 kg with relapsing-remitting MS. It is given by intravenous infusion.^[4]
Gulf registers: Saudi Arabia: listed in the SFDA drugs list. Abu Dhabi: has an active code in the Abu Dhabi DoH drug code list. Checked 17 October 2026. UAE federal status, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman: not verified in a public register.^{[6, 7]}
Country guides: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Turkey, India, Pakistan
Kesimpta (ofatumumab)
FDA-approved for adults with relapsing forms of MS. It is an injection under the skin that patients can learn to give at home.^[8]
Gulf registers: Saudi Arabia: listed in the SFDA drugs list. Abu Dhabi: has an active code in the Abu Dhabi DoH drug code list. Checked 17 October 2026. UAE federal status, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman: not verified in a public register.^{[6, 7]}
Country guides: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, India, Pakistan
Briumvi (ublituximab)
FDA-approved for adults with relapsing forms of MS. It is given by intravenous infusion.^[9]
Gulf registers: Saudi Arabia: listed in the SFDA drugs list. Abu Dhabi: has an active code in the Abu Dhabi DoH drug code list. Checked 17 October 2026. UAE federal status, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman: not verified in a public register.^{[6, 7]}
Country guides: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, India
Tysabri (natalizumab)
FDA-approved for adults with relapsing forms of MS, as a single treatment. It is given by intravenous infusion. It is also approved for Crohn's disease.^[10]
Gulf registers: Saudi Arabia: listed in the SFDA drugs list. Abu Dhabi: has an active code in the Abu Dhabi DoH drug code list. Checked 17 October 2026. UAE federal status, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman: not verified in a public register.^{[6, 7]}
Country guides: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, India
Zeposia (ozanimod hydrochloride)
FDA-approved for adults with relapsing forms of MS. It is a capsule taken by mouth. It is also approved for ulcerative colitis.^[11]
Gulf registers: Saudi Arabia: listed in the SFDA drugs list. Abu Dhabi: has an active code in the Abu Dhabi DoH drug code list. Checked 17 October 2026. UAE federal status, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman: not verified in a public register.^{[6, 7]}
Country guides: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman
Mayzent (siponimod)
FDA-approved for adults with relapsing forms of MS. It is a tablet taken by mouth.^[12]
Gulf registers: Saudi Arabia: listed in the SFDA drugs list. Abu Dhabi: has an active code in the Abu Dhabi DoH drug code list. Checked 17 October 2026. UAE federal status, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman: not verified in a public register.^{[6, 7]}
Country guides: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, India
Ponvory (ponesimod)
FDA-approved for adults with relapsing forms of MS. It is a tablet taken by mouth.^[13]
Gulf registers: Saudi Arabia: listed in the SFDA drugs list. Abu Dhabi: has an active code in the Abu Dhabi DoH drug code list. Checked 17 October 2026. UAE federal status, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman: not verified in a public register.^{[6, 7]}
Country guides: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman
Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate)
FDA-approved for adults with relapsing forms of MS. It is a capsule taken by mouth.^[14]
Gulf registers: Saudi Arabia: listed in the SFDA drugs list. Abu Dhabi: has an active code in the Abu Dhabi DoH drug code list. Checked 17 October 2026. UAE federal status, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman: not verified in a public register.^{[6, 7]}
Country guides: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Pakistan

How families in the Gulf can access these medicines

If the medicine is listed in your country. Ask your specialist and the hospital pharmacy about local supply first. A listing does not mean every hospital stocks the medicine, and another brand of the same medicine may also be registered, but local supply is usually the fastest route and you may not need us.

If it is not registered. The usual legal route is a named-patient request: the treating hospital, on your specialist's written request, asks the national regulator for permission to import the medicine for one patient, using the US FDA approval as the reference. In Saudi Arabia the SFDA Special Access Program guidance covers these requests; in Bahrain, NHRA Circular 41 of 2020 sets the procedure. Other Gulf countries have their own procedures, which the hospital pharmacy confirms.^{[15, 16]} Once approval is in place, Reserve Meds arranges supply through a US-licensed pharmaceutical wholesale partner to the hospital pharmacy.

Who does what

Your treating specialist decides whether a medicine is right for the patient and writes the letter.
The hospital checks local supply, files any import request, and gives the treatment safely.
The national regulator decides whether to approve the import of a medicine that is not registered.
The manufacturer decides where its medicine can be supplied, especially for cell and gene therapies.
Reserve Meds helps organize records, coordinates US supply through our wholesale partner, shipping and updates to your family. We do not give medical advice.

Documents you will usually need

A letter from the treating specialist with the diagnosis, past treatments and why the medicine is being considered
Reports that confirm the diagnosis, such as laboratory, genetic, imaging or pathology results, translated into English where needed
Recent clinic notes and a list of current medicines
For a hospital import request: the prescription, the hospital's request form and the written consent of the patient or guardian
Proof of the US FDA approval and the US prescribing information (we can supply these)

We give you a written timeline estimate once we see the hospital file. The regulator, the treatment center and the manufacturer set their own timelines.

What treatment costs

Quote on request. Your total cost depends on the medicine, the dose, shipping, import steps and coordination. Your coordination fee is quoted in writing for your case before you commit. No hidden charges.

How Reserve Meds helps

Reserve Meds is a digital health company. Medicines are supplied through a US-licensed pharmaceutical wholesale partner. We help your doctor and hospital prepare the file, arrange US supply and temperature-controlled shipping once approval is in place, and keep your family updated. We coordinate access to FDA-approved medicines only. Investigational medicines are only available through a manufacturer's expanded-access program requested by the treating physician; we can explain that route, but we do not supply them.

Ask us about treatment for multiple sclerosis

Tell us the medicine, your country and a WhatsApp or phone number. We reply within one business day. On WhatsApp we usually reply the same day.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an FDA-approved treatment for multiple sclerosis?

Yes. The medicines on this page have US FDA approval for specific groups of patients: Ocrevus, Kesimpta, Briumvi, Tysabri, Zeposia, Mayzent, Ponvory and Tecfidera. The exact conditions are in each US label and are summarized above. Your specialist decides whether any of them fits.

Is Ocrevus available in Saudi Arabia or the UAE?

Saudi Arabia: listed in the SFDA drugs list. Abu Dhabi: has an active code in the Abu Dhabi DoH drug code list. Checked 17 October 2026. UAE federal status, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman: not verified in a public register. A listing in Abu Dhabi does not show federal UAE status.

How can a family in the Gulf get Ocrevus?

Ask the treating hospital about local supply first. If it is not available, the hospital can file a named-patient import request with the national regulator on your specialist's written request. Once approved, we arrange US supply to the hospital pharmacy.

How much does treatment cost?

Quote on request. Your total cost, including the medicine, shipping, import steps and coordination, is quoted in writing for your case before you commit. No hidden charges.

What are relapsing forms of MS?

US labels use this term for clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting disease and active secondary progressive disease. Most MS medicines on this page are approved for these forms.

Is any medicine approved for primary progressive MS?

Yes. Among the medicines on this page, the US label for Ocrevus includes adults with primary progressive MS.

Sources for the last two answers: ^[8] ^[4]

Sources

Checked on 17 October 2026. Labels, registers and regulator rules change. Your hospital pharmacy confirms the current position before filing.

Multiple sclerosis by country

This page is general health information, not medical advice. It does not replace a consultation with your doctor.