UCB enters into strategic partnerships in clinical development with PAREXEL and PRA

Brussels (Belgium), 15 November 2011 – 18:00 (CET) UCB announced today that it has entered into strategic partnerships with PAREXEL and PRA to drive UCB’s operational clinical development activities. The agreements are effective for all of UCB’s new clinical study programs on a global basis.

"We are pleased to announce these strategic partnerships as UCB aims to expand its global drug development activities, including in Asia. These partnerships represent long-term, win-win commitments to an outsourcing model focused on maximizing the effectiveness of each participant’s resources in clinical operations. These relationships are based upon integrity, trust and dedication to common goals", said Iris Loew-Friedrich, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of UCB. "Our strategic partnerships with PAREXEL and PRA will improve efficiency and cost effectiveness, as well as increase opportunity for innovation, collaboration, and the continuous improvement of quality and services – helping us to deliver new medicines to patients worldwide. By putting these new arrangements in place, PAREXEL and PRA essentially become integrated members of our study teams."

"As a leader in the strategic partnership model, we look forward to providing UCB with best practices to bolster the success of their development efforts. Leveraging our global resources and worldwide infrastructure, as well as the depth and breadth of our expertise, we look forward to working collaboratively with UCB to deliver customized, innovative solutions to achieve their goals," said Josef von Rickenbach, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PAREXEL International. "Through the partnership, UCB will receive the benefits of PAREXEL’s proven clinical processes through all phases of development, which are supported by its market-leading eClinical technology platform. UCB will also leverage PAREXEL’s consulting expertise in regulatory affairs and commercialization."

"We are pleased with UCB’s commitment to a true strategic partnership," noted Colin Shannon, President and CEO of PRA. "Working as an extension of UCB’s development team, we have the opportunity to execute trials in an innovative and transformational way. While our medical expertise includes significant experience in CNS indications, we also provide a full suite of services for clinical studies across all phases and therapeutic areas. With eClinical solutions, advanced technological tools and finely tuned systems we can achieve seamless delivery and operational transparency throughout our organization."

For UCB:

Antje Witte, Investor Relations UCB
T +32.2.559.9414, antje.witte@ucb.com

France Nivelle, Global Communications, UCB
T +32.2.559.9178, france.nivelle@ucb.com

For PAREXEL:

Jill Baker, Investor Relations, PAREXEL
T: +1-781-434-4118, Jill.Baker@PAREXEL.com

Jennifer Baird, Public Relations, PAREXEL
T: +1-781-434-4409, Jennifer.Baird@PAREXEL.com

For PRA:

Roger Boutin, Marketing and Communications, PRA
T: +1.434.951.3924, boutinroger@praintl.com

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 8 500 people in about 40 countries, the company generated revenue of EUR 3.2 billion in 2010. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB).

About PAREXEL
PAREXEL International Corporation is a leading global bio/pharmaceutical services organization, providing a broad range of knowledge-based contract research, consulting, and medical communications services to the worldwide pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. Committed to providing solutions that expedite time-to-market and peak-market penetration, PAREXEL has developed significant expertise across the development and commercialization continuum, from drug development and regulatory consulting to clinical pharmacology, clinical trials management, medical education and reimbursement. Perceptive Informatics, Inc., a subsidiary of PAREXEL, provides advanced technology solutions, including medical imaging, to facilitate the clinical development process. Headquartered near Boston, Massachusetts, PAREXEL operates in 67 locations throughout 52 countries around the world, and has approximately 10,850 employees. For more information about PAREXEL International visit www.PAREXEL.com.

About PRA
A leading CRO, PRA is transforming clinical trials through people, innovation and transparency. PRA provides personalized service customized to the unique requirements of each study. It supports its global reach and innovative approach through flexible and reliable service, ensuring that sponsors achieve their long-term goals.

Serving sponsors across all phases of pharmaceutical and biotech drug development; PRA has amassed expertise that enables it to work on a variety of compounds, ranging from niche treatments to blockbuster drugs. Its increasingly forward-thinking approach to transforming the clinical trial landscape continues to make a difference to healthcare patients around the world.

Forward looking statement UCB
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current plans, estimates and beliefs of management. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial information, expected legal, political, regulatory or clinical results and other such estimates and results. By their nature, such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions which could cause actual results to differ materially 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, the inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals or to obtain them on acceptable terms, costs associated with research and development, changes in the prospects for products in the pipeline or under development by UCB, effects of future judicial decisions or governmental investigations, product liability claims, challenges to patent protection for products or product candidates, changes in laws or regulations, exchange rate fluctuations, changes or uncertainties in tax laws or the administration of such laws and hiring and retention of its employees. UCB is providing this information as of the date of this press release and expressly disclaims any duty to update any information contained in this press release, either to confirm the actual results or to report a change in its expectations.

There is no guarantee that new product candidates in the pipeline will progress to product approval or that new indications for existing products will be developed and approved. Products or potential products which are the subject of partnerships, joint ventures or licensing collaborations may be subject to differences between the partners. Also, UCB or others could discover safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with its products after they are marketed.

Moreover, sales may be impacted by international and domestic trends toward managed care and health care cost containment and the reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers as well as legislation affecting biopharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement.