A global biopharma company, inspired by the needs of people living with severe diseases

At UCB, we believe that everyone deserves to live the best life that they can. That’s why – as a global biopharmaceutical leader - we’re focused on creating valuable solutions that improve the lives of people living with neurological and autoimmune conditions.

A healthier and fairer future requires collective action and we believe in extending our impact beyond what we can achieve alone. We work closely and forge strong connections with diverse networks of patients, caregivers, health care professionals and other stakeholders who know the challenges of severe diseases.

Our foundational commitment to crafting sustainable solutions and delivering medicines that aim to improve lives is at the core of all that we do, as we live our purpose each day - bringing together the expertise, talent, tools and scientific ingenuity needed to pursue what’s right for people living with severe disease and society, and making informed choices to improve health equity and minimize our environmental footprint.

This is powered by the approximately 9,000 people – from our headquarters in Belgium and across nearly 40 countries worldwide. Our people have lived our purpose each day since 1928, making critical investments in biopharmaceutical research and leading innovations that strive to achieve a meaningful impact on the lives of those we serve.

 

Our purpose

UCB is driven to ensure that everyone can live the best life they can, as free as possible from the challenges and uncertainty of disease. This ambition fuels our purpose: creating value in the lives of the people we serve, now and into the future.

Our research and development activity across neurology, immunology, and other areas where our expertise aligns with unmet needs is driven by our connection to the people we serve. Their unique and diverse perspectives serve as guides and inspiration as we explore the furthest reaches of science and medical knowledge. We listen to and learn from them, ensuring that our work has the greatest possible impact by delivering differentiated solutions that create value that cannot be expressed in numbers alone. We seek out tools, technologies, employees and partners that let us respond to patient needs with purposeful innovations that make a truly meaningful impact.

We pursue that ambition each day, promoting a culture of collaboration and curiosity that values diverse perspectives and backgrounds. We are committed to caring for each other, for our communities, for the planet, and for the people who inspire our work.

Our history

Looking ahead, we are building on this position of strength and preparation the next wave of future medicines and solutions, driving future growth and creating value for patients.

In the early years of the 21st century, UCB began to transform into a pure biopharma company. 

Significant milestones included the acquisition of Celltech, a British biotech firm in 2004, and then German pharma company, Schwarz Pharma, in 2006.

A significant breakthrough came in the 1980s when UCB registered Zyrtec© - a novel antihistamine product. A blockbuster was born, helping to further raise the profile of the company. 

A second blockbuster - Keppra© - was launched in the 1990s, spurring further global growth. 

UCB was created in Brussels by Emmanuel Janssen in the 1920s.

The company expanded and entered the US market in the 1930s.

Our scientists' first therapeutic breakthroughs came in the 1950s, followed in the 1960s by visionary research into the field of biotechnology.

"Traditionally, science is connected to the patient. We want to connect patients to science. This is the business model of today and tomorrow."

- Jean-Christophe Tellier