Partnering with leaders
As we take on new challenges and expand our ambition to new patient populations and new innovative therapies, we collaborate with likeminded innovators and partners. We seek out partners who share our vision and commitment to delivering valuable solutions for people living with severe diseases, whether they are leading academic institutions, biotechnology peers or other pharmaceutical companies. We know that dialogue, collaboration and partnership can help see where promising innovation can result in valuable health solutions.
Partnering with UCB
You have invested time, effort and resources to discover and/or develop your product to this point. Partnering with UCB will help you complete the journey and bring your product to patients.
We are:
- Passionate: we believe we share a responsibility to push science and education for patients in need
- Experienced: UCB has a track record in the development and commercialization of global blockbusters, both alone and in partnership
- “Right-Sized” Biopharma: our global footprint, with a presence in approximately 40 countries, means your product will reach patients all over the world and always get the attention it deserves
- Responsive: our lean, collaborative and agile organization has strong networks and access to key internal and external stakeholders
- Experts: you can benefit from our wealth of expertise in rheumatology and neurology, including internal and external experts willing to listen and to share knowledge
- Leaders: UCB is recognized as a world value leader in epilepsy, and one of the top companies in the fields of neurology and rheumatology.

Areas of Interest
UCB is looking globally for new opportunities that are transformational for patients and have a clear scientific rationale and/or clinical evidence of therapeutic efficacy, in the following areas:
Neurological conditions
- Seizure disorders (e.g. drug refractory epilepsy, rare genetic forms, autoimmune epilepsy, epileptogenesis)
- Movement disorders (e.g. Parkinson's disease: disease modifying therapies, non-dopaminergic therapies with impact on motor and non-motor symptoms)
- Neurodegenerative disorders (breakthrough approaches to significantly improve or delay deficits as well as disease modifying therapies)
Immunological disorders
- Auto-immune, B-cell and neuro-inflammatory diseases
- Fibrotic diseases (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, renal fibrosis, liver fibrosis, systemic scleroderma).
We are also interested in other assets in additional diseases primarily treated by neurologists or rheumatologists, including orphan indications.

Our partnering process: Empathetic, Thoughtful and Flexible
Your first opportunity to experience UCB is through our partnering interactions. Here is how we plan to work together:
Connecting and getting to know each other
- Healthy relationships start on a solid foundation of trust. You can expect us to be empathetic, thoughtful and candid. This is how we start and how we plan to finish.
- You will experience the engagement of key UCB staff and management, including those who will ultimately lead the internal teams responsible for the collaboration, providing you with the opportunity to test how UCB can contribute meaningfully to your project
Understanding your project, exploring how we can effectively work together
- Our early aim is to rapidly confirm, based on the underlying science and evidence, whether or not your project fits our goal to deliver differentiated medicines and other healthcare solutions that address the medical needs of patients and physicians.
- We will then conduct thorough, cross-functional, two-way due diligence, working to understand your business needs and how to best leverage our respective capabilities.
Teaming up for execution
We see the execution of the deal as the start of a joint endeavor with our partners. Our project/product based organization will drive smooth and successful execution towards our common goals. A structured and committed alliance management will drive alignment, manage the relationships and maintain trust allowing all parties to maximize the value of our alliances.
Global Business Development
UCB Biopharma s.r.l.
Global Business Development
Allée de la Recherche 60
1070 Brussels, Belgium
Mail to: busdev@ucb.com
Head of BD Neurology
Anna Lisa Picciolo-Lehrke
Anna-Lisa.Picciolo-Lehrke@ucb.com
Head of BD Immunology
Christine Sundermann
Christine.Sundermann@ucb.com
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