UCB reports further growth during key 2012 period

UCB has published its financial report for 2012, during which it achieved a significant milestone in its corporate strategy.

The firm's revenue for the 12-month period came to 3.46 billion euros (2.99 billion pounds), up by seven percent year over year, as UCB completed its transformation into a patient-centric biopharmaceutical company.

A crossover point was reached whereby net sales of its new core medicines Cimzia, Vimpat and Neupro achieved combined net sales of exceeded those of UCB's previous leading medicine for many years, the anti-epileptic therapy Keppra, which has now lost its patent protection.

Revenue is expected to continue growing at a low-single-digit percentage rate in 2013, according to current forecasts.

Roch Doliveux, chief executive officer of UCB, said: "We now expect company growth for many years, driven by UCB core medicines, emerging markets and new breakthrough solutions for patients."

According to strategic plans outlined by the firm earlier this month, UCB hopes to build combined peak sales of Cimzia, Vimpat and Neupro to at least 3.1 billion euros in the second half of the decade.