Hikma launches XCOPRI® (Cenobamate tablets) in the UAE
London, 6 July 2026 – Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (Hikma), the multinational pharmaceutical company, announces the launch of XCOPRI® (Cenobamate tablets) in the UAE. XCOPRI® is the first anti-seizure medication containing Cenobamate to be launched in the UAE, and it is used to manage partial-onset seizures (POS) in adult patients with epilepsy.
Hikma signed an exclusive licensing agreement with SK Biopharmaceuticals, a global biotech company focused on the development of treatments for central nervous system (CNS) disorders and oncology, in 2023 for the commercialisation and manufacture of their current and future pipeline of innovative products, including Cenobamate, for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Hikma today is the largest pharmaceutical company in MENA by sales1, with a growing portfolio of more than 430 products in key therapy areas and an extensive pipeline that is supported by internal R&D and partnerships.
About Cenobamate
Cenobamate is an anti-seizure medication (ASM) discovered and developed by SK Biopharmaceuticals and its U.S. subsidiary, SK Life Science. While the precise mechanism by which Cenobamate exerts its therapeutic effect is unknown, it is believed to reduce repetitive neuronal firing by inhibiting voltage-gated sodium currents. It is also a positive allosteric modulator of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABAA) ion channel.
Cenobamate is approved in the United States for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in adults and is available under the brand name XCOPRI® (Cenobamate tablets) CV. Cenobamate can be combined with other ASMs or used alone. The recommended initial dosage of Cenobamate is 12.5 mg once-daily, with titration every two weeks; it is available in six tablet strengths for once-daily dosing: 12.5 mg, 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg, 150 mg and 200 mg.
Cenobamate is also approved in the European Union and the United Kingdom for the adjunctive treatment of focal-onset (partial-onset) seizures with or without secondary generalization in adult patients with seizures that have not been adequately controlled despite a history of treatment with at least two anti-epileptic medicinal products and is marketed by Angelini Pharma under the brand name ONTOZRY®. Additionally, Cenobamate is in clinical development in Asia. Ono Pharmaceutical and Ignis Therapeutics have the rights to develop and commercialize Cenobamate in Japan and in the Greater China region, respectively.
1 Based Based on internal analysis by Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC using data from the following source: IQVIA Monthly MIDAS M03 2026 data publication, for the Rolling 12 Months data as MAT Mar. 2026, reflecting the estimates of real-world activity. Copyright IQVIA. All rights reserved. **MENA Region includes 9 Countries – *Algeria, Egypt, *Jordan, Kuwait, *Lebanon, *Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia & UAE.
*Countries – Countries in MENA Region Marked with “*” are markets constituting of Retail Channel Data only.
Note – All claims are based on the Metric - Value Sales (in USD) only. All Ranks & Market Share percentages have been calculated using the same metric