UCB Pharma: Revolutionizing Healthcare with Innovative Medications

Drug manufacture link: www.ucb.com

UCB Pharma

The company is a world-known Belgian drug maker established in 1928 with a headquarters in Brussels. Currently, the company’s products are present in over forty countries of the world. Besides, it is present through its subsidiaries in the U.S., China, Germany, UK, Switzerland and other European countries, and Japan. It employs 7,500 people and is included in the TOP-20 European pharmaceutical companies by the yearly revenue.

The company mostly engages in the research and development of medicinal products for epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and in general central nervous system disorders, Crohn's disease and other inflammatory diseases, and oncology.

History of UCB Pharma

The company was established in 1928 and has the full name of Union Chimique Belge. Initially, it was a chemical company mostly engaged in the production of chemicals for industrial use but it had a small drug-making department registered under the name Meurice Laboratories.

At the beginning of the ’50 of the twentieth century, the company invested into a research center which developed several successful medications Atarax (Hydroxyzine), one of the first ever developed antihistamines, among them. This success encouraged the management of the company to further invest and develop the pharmaceutical department. Soon it led to the development of one of the major products by the company, Nootropil (Piracetam), a nootropic medication, historically the first and the main representative of this group of drugs, it remains one of the most important in it and is used to improve the metabolic processes in the cerebral cortex that are violated in various diseases of the central nervous system, especially associated with vascular disorders and pathology of brain metabolic processes.

The international sales of Nootropil (Piracetam) made a next step in the development of the company possible which was the building of an advanced pharmaceutical research and development facility and a factory in Brussels. This facility introduction is marked with the discovery of such major successful medications as Zyrtec (cetirizine) (a world’s best selling anti-allergy drug); Keppra (levetiracetam) (anti-epilepsy drug), Xyzal (levocetirizine) (non-sedating anti-allergy drug).

By 2005, UCB sold out all of the non-pharmaceutical subsidiaries and bought the British biotechnology company Celltech. Through this acquisition, it got the brand Cimzia (certolizumab pegol), a biologic medication for the treatment of Crohn’s disease, and established itself into a multinational biopharmaceutical company.

In 2006-2007, the company started the acquisition of the German pharmaceutical company called Schwarz. This acquisition allowed UCB to become the owner of two new medications for the treatment of central nervous system diseases, Neupro (rotigotine), a patch for Parkinson's disease therapy and Vimpat (lacosamide), a new anticonvulsant for epilepsy treatment.

The company’s cooperation with a company called Beryllium specializing in the development of central nervous system medications disorders and immune response modulators brought the company the substantial scientific breakthrough.
Since 2014, the UCB Company decided to sell its generics production business and focus on the development of new medications only.

Status/Status Date:

IR CANCELLED; US REGISTRATION CANCELLED

Serial Number:

79002398

Filing Date:

3/19/2004

Registration Number:

3050960

Goods and Services:

Pharmaceutical preparations that act on the central peripheral nervous system

Mark Description:

NOT AVAILABLE

Type Of Mark:

Service Mark

Published For Opposition Date:

11/1/2005

Last Applicant/Owner:

UCB PHARMA, S.A.

Mark Drawing Code:

Drawing/Design + Words

Design Search:

Micro - organisms (including sperms) (Animals - Insects, spiders, micro - organisms), Incomplete squares (Geometric figures and solids - Squares), Squares with bars, bands and lines (Geometric figures and solids - Squares)

Principal

Disclaimer:

("PHARMA" and "CNS")

Correspondent:

UCB PHARMA, S.A., 60, Allée de la Recherche, B-1070 BRUXELLES, Belgium

Research focus areas

The diseases on which the UCB Pharmaceuticals focuses its research are central nervous system disorders, inflammatory disorders, and cancer. These diseases comprise epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, restless legs syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, axial spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, lupus, psoriasis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and others.

The company’s research and development is focused on two directions: New chemical entities (NCEs) and New biological entities (NBEs).

The first direction, New chemical entities (NCEs), is a development of “conventional” medications that can be used at home, usually, in an oral tablets form. These medications are also commonly called the “small molecule drugs.”
The second direction, New biological entities (NBEs), is a direction of developing so-called “large molecule drugs”, they are proteins, peptides, antibodies, viruses and vaccines used to prevent or treat disease. These medications are usually injectable or administered via the intravenous infusion.

In the basis of the major therapeutic achievements of the company there is an interworking of biology and chemistry. The company offers the new solutions through the combining of its experience in the development of large molecules based on antibodies and small molecules synthesized chemically.

Besides working on its own projects, the UCB Pharma believes that the difficulties related to the severe chronic diseases cannot be eliminated through the experience and resources of a single organization. Therefore, it joints its efforts with other research centers and biotechnology companies to share the knowledge, ideas, and results of studies through the Technology Platform Access Programme (TPAP).

Social contribution

The UCB Pharma Company has initiated a charitable foundation UCB Societal Responsibility Fund. It is a joint organization founded together with the King Baudouin Foundation in 2014. The fund is focused on the life improvement of people with neurological diseases in unprivileged countries. The fund has programs to lower the social stigma for such people and their families, sponsors education for healthcare professionals from those regions, and helps people with neurological conditions lead a normal life and be integrated in society and provide for themselves.

The company also implements environmentally friendly initiatives such as the UCB Green Strategy that implies the updating of all of the company’s facilities in accordance with the goals of reducing water consumption, waste production, and CO2 production. More detailed information on the company’s commitment to this goal and its implementation steps can be found on its official website.

The UCB major products on our online pharmacy RXShopMD

The company’s products are divided into several groups:
- Medications for neurological conditions include: epilepsy treatment preparations Briviact (Brivaracetam), Keppra (levetiracetam), and Vimpat (Lacosamide); Parkinson's disease and restless legs syndrome preparation Neupro (Rotigotine).
- Immunology: Cimzia (Certolizumab pegol) is a preparation used in the therapy of Ankylosing spondylitis, Axial spondyloarthritis, Crohn's disease, Psoriatic arthritis, and Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Other medications include: Nootropil (Piracetam) is used for memory problems and improvement of metabolic processes in the cerebral cortex violated by different diseases of the central nervous system; Xyrem (Sodium oxybate) used for narcolepsy; Xyzal (levocetirizine) is an antihistamine medication prescribed for various types of allergies; Zyrtec (cetirizine) is an antihistamine medication prescribed for various types of allergies.
Some of these medications are over-the-counter drugs, for instance, anti-allergy pills, but others are appointed by a doctor only after a comprehensive medical examination.

Products by UCB you can buy at our online pharmacy

- Atarax based on the active ingredient Hydroxyzine is an H1-histamine receptors blocker. It also has a sedative, anxiolytic and antiemetic effect. Currently used as a relatively "soft" tranquilizer and anti-allergy y medication. The indications for the pills use are atopic dermatitis, eczema, urticaria, premedication, nausea, anxiety, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, neuroses, diseases accompanied by anxiety, and so on. You can find the pills in our Anti-allergy medications section.
- Zyrtec based on the active ingredient Cetirizine is a competitive histamine antagonist, a Hydroxyzine metabolite, blocks H1-histamine receptors and is used for the treatment of hay fever, allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, dermatitis, urticaria, allergic swelling, and other manifestations of an allergy. You can find Zyrtec pills in our Anti-allergy medications section.

These antihistamine medications are sold without a prescription but if you are not sure whether you have an allergy or another condition, you should consult a doctor first.