Lilly agrees UAE drug packaging deal with Mubadala Bio after Mounjaro revenue grows 91%
Key Facts
Mubadala Bio and Eli Lilly announced an agreement on October 20, 2026, for pharmaceutical packaging and logistics services in Abu Dhabi, according to an announcement published by the Abu Dhabi Media Office. The collaboration covers Mounjaro and Foundayo, linking packaging operations in the UAE with distribution of the 2 drugs across the region and in markets beyond. Hamad Al Marzouqi, deputy chief executive of Mubadala Bio, told The National that the agreement covers packaging the 2 treatments locally before distribution. He added that Foundayo is Lilly's oral drug included in these operations, alongside Mounjaro. He described the destination of the packaged products as "across the region and into markets further afield." The announced scope of the collaboration focuses on pharmaceutical packaging and related logistics services.
The agreement follows a 91% increase in Mounjaro's global revenue in the second quarter of 2026 from the corresponding period, according to Lilly's earnings release. The drug generated revenue of $9.9 billion during the quarter, placing it among the company's main businesses ahead of the collaboration announced in Abu Dhabi. Across its treatment portfolio, Mounjaro and Zepbound together accounted for 65% of Lilly's total revenue during the 6 months ended June 30, 2026. The company reported this share in its quarterly filing, which covers the 2 drugs' contribution during the first half of the year. Alongside these revenues, Lilly announced an additional $4.5 billion commitment to expand manufacturing sites in Indiana. The manufacturing commitment was announced as part of the company's second-quarter results.
Foundayo, which is included in the UAE packaging operations, received approval from the Emirates Drug Establishment as an oral treatment for chronic weight management. The regulator identified its active ingredient as orforglipron in the approval announcement. The regulatory announcement was published on April 3, 2026, before the agreement between Mubadala Bio and Lilly in October. In Abu Dhabi, the Department of Health also announced a personalised weight management programme for eligible Thiqa programme members. The programme covers people aged 18 and older who have been clinically diagnosed as overweight or obese, according to the department. The announced eligibility criteria thus combine qualifying Thiqa membership, the minimum age requirement and a clinical diagnosis of overweight or obesity.
Mubadala Bio is part of Mubadala Investment Company's portfolio, which launched it in 2025 as a wholly owned company. According to its profile published by Mubadala, the company's portfolio comprises 10 facilities across Asia, Africa and Europe. Of these facilities, 6 are in the UAE, while the portfolio serves more than 100 countries. Mubadala Bio operates across integrated pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical logistics, according to its launch statement. Its activities focus on local manufacturing and distribution to provide the most urgently needed and in-demand treatments, the direction the company set out when announcing its establishment. On local production, Mubadala's annual report said it began manufacturing 8 essential medicines during the reporting year.
On logistics, Mubadala Bio subsidiary GMSC expanded its storage capacity from 2,000 to 6,500 pallets, according to a company statement on the opening of its new facility. Mubadala Bio said the increase brought total storage capacity to more than 3 times its previous level. The expansion also included cold-chain space, which increased from 20 to 100 square metres. The company linked the expansion of this space to improved handling of temperature-sensitive medical supplies. In manufacturing, Mubadala Bio's portfolio has annual capacity exceeding 2.5 billion tablets and capsules, according to its profile published by Mubadala Investment Company. Its annual capacity also totals 120 million units of intravenous solutions and injections.
Lilly's next announced financial event is on October 29, 2026, when the company holds its third-quarter earnings call, according to its investor relations page. The company scheduled the call to begin at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The call will cover results for the third quarter of 2026, following the financial period in which the company announced Mounjaro revenue growth and its additional commitment to manufacturing expansion in Indiana. The financial event also follows the announcement of the collaboration with Mubadala Bio to package and distribute medicines from the UAE. According to the investor relations calendar, October 29 is the date of the call dedicated to presenting results for that period.