Patient engagement: key to be sustainable

At UCB we have an unwavering focus on patients – every decision, every innovation and every step forward is guided by the ambition to elevate the lives of people living with severe diseases through our medicines. To advance our innovation and sustainable impact in the most focused and impactful way, we conduct regular materiality assessment exercises.

A materiality analysis is a formal structured process aiming to identify where we can make the most meaningful difference, considering both how societal trends and issues create financial risks and opportunities for our company as well as our company’s impact on people and the environment, both in the short and long-term. The materiality analysis conducted throughout the years since 2019 consistently guided our focus to areas that are deeply connected to who we are: discovering and developing medicines and ensuring they reach the patients who need them, with the lowest environmental impact. The last assessment conducted in 2023 also identified patient engagement as a strategic topic, with high financial and impact materiality scores.  

We were pleased with this result, as patient engagement is crucial to delivering solutions that truly address patients’ needs, priorities and preferences – without it, there is risk of misalignment and therefore of negative financial impact. 

Co-creation for better patient outcomes 

At UCB, we believe that patient engagement is key to innovation and achieving better outcomes for patients. In practice, we have designed a Patient Engagement Framework to embed patient insights in the development of groundbreaking solutions. By partnering with patient communities, we ensure that our work continuously aligns with the actual needs, priorities and preferences of those we serve.

Engaging with patients from early research stages to and beyond the launch of new medicines ensures that our solutions are effective, save time and resources in the development process, and most importantly, make a tangible difference. By actively listening to diverse patient perspectives and co-creating solutions with them, we also strive to ensure that patient voices are not just heard—they are a central part of our strategy and decision-making process. We make sure to give back to the patient communities by sharing the results of our partnerships, e.g. information and evidence, by amplifying their voice and by promoting patient informed decision making in the healthcare ecosystem.  

I invite you to read more about some of the ways we engaged with patient communities in our 2024 Integrated Annual Report.