Belgium's UCB to maximize US focus and resources on core products, hiving off primary care to Sanofi and Teva

Belgian drugmaker UCB says that it plans to accelerate its US transition to a purely specialty-focused biopharmaceutical company and will exit the American primary care market, effective March 1.

This strategic decision impacts the reported 2009 net profit with one-time restructuring charges of about 70 million euros ($98.28 million), while freeing more resources for core products, says UCB, Belgium's remaining significant drug firm following the sale of Solvay's pharmaceutical business to the USA's Abbott Laboratories for some $6.6 billion last year. 'This transition is part of the company's long-term strategy to become the patient-centric global biopharmaceutical leader focused on immunology and neurology,' the company said.

"Following the successful US launches of our core products Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) and Vimpat (lacosamide) and awaiting Food and Drug Administration approval for the US launch of Neupro (rotigotine transdermal patch), we are focusing the resources of the total US organization and strengthening the foundation for the company's focus on immunology and neurology. After the exit of the primary care market in most of Western Europe 18 months ago, UCB will now exit the US primary care market, and focus its resources on providing solutions to patients who suffer from severe diseases with Cimzia, Vimpat as well as prepare for Neupro," said Roch Doliveux, UCB's chief executive.