UCB to expand manufacturing capacity for Cimzia®
- Projected market demand leads to production capacity addition
• UCB to build new biotech manufacturing unit in Bulle, Switzerland
Brussels (Belgium), 22 December 2010, 7.00 AM (CET) - regulated information - UCB announced today that the company has initiated a project to build in-house biotech microbial manufacturing capacity in Bulle, Switzerland to secure demand for its core product Cimzia® (certoluzimab pegol). The new manufacturing unit should be operational in 2015 and requires an investment of EUR 250 million in two steps.
"We want to be able to meet our projected future demand for 2015 and beyond for Cimzia® - by adding internal capacity to our existing capacities with our productions partners," says Michele Antonelli, Executive Vice President UCB and responsible for Technical Operations, Quality Assurance and HSE. "Our site in Bulle is the right place and most cost effective location to build our own biotech manufacturing unit which enables us to further improve our productivity at attractive terms. The new unit together with the bio-pilot-plant under construction in Braine l'Alleud, Belgium will also strengthen our ability to deliver our future biological products."
For further information
Antje Witte, Investor Relations UCB
T +32.2.559.9414, [email protected]
Michael Tuck-Sherman, Investor Relations, UCB
T +32.2.559.9712, [email protected]
Nancy Nackaerts, External Communications, UCB
T +32.473.864.414 or +32.2.559.92.64, [email protected]
About UCB
UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. With more than 8 000 people in about 40 countries, the company generated revenue of EUR 3.1 billion in 2009. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB).
Forward looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current plans, estimates and beliefs of management. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from those that may be implied by such forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Important factors that could result in such differences include: changes in general economic, business and competitive conditions, effects of future judicial decisions, changes in regulation, exchange rate fluctuations and hiring and retention of its employees.
For more information contact:
UCB Media Room
e: [email protected]