MedNous

UCB looks to new products to offset loss of patent protection

Tuesday 2 March 2010

Country: Belgium

UCB expects that three recently launched drugs will drive the company’s growth for the next decade following a period of extensive restructuring.

At a briefing for journalists on 2 March 2010, the company’s chief executive, Roch Doliveux, said the products – Cimzia (certolizumab) for Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis; Neupro (rotigotine) for Parkinson’s disease and restless legs syndrome, and Vimpat (lacosamide) for epilepsy – form the core of the company’s product portfolio going forward. This follows the company’s loss of patent protection for its biggest revenue-generator, Keppra, an anti-epileptic drug.

Presenting the company’s results for 2009, Mr Doliveux said UCB had partially offset its loss of Keppr