UCB Shares Jump After Demand for Immunology Drug Bimzelx Boosts Outlook

By Adria Calatayud

UCB shares jumped after the Belgian pharmaceutical company raised its annual guidance for the second time this year, citing strong U.S. demand for its Bimzelx blockbuster drug.

Shares in UCB were up 13% in European morning trading, erasing their year-to-date losses. If maintained until close, this would be the stock's biggest one-day percentage gain in more than a year, according to FactSet data.

The company now anticipates 2026 revenue growth in the low-twenties percentage range when excluding currency changes, up from its previous forecast of an increase in the low- to mid-teens range.

It also expects adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization growth to be in the low- to mid-forties at constant currency, which compares with the mid-teens to low-twenties range it previously guided for.

Strong U.S. sales for immunology drug Bimzelx due to robust patient demand and favorable pricing trends, as well as the continued contribution from older anti-inflammatory drug Cimzia prompted the guidance increase, UCB said.

UCB said its upgraded guidance excludes proceeds from the sale of a priority-review voucher, an incentive program created by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The sale is expected to represent an additional uplift of low- to mid-single-digit percentage points to revenue and adjusted Ebitda, it added.

The update should be well received by investors and lead to significant upgrades to consensus expectations, ING analysts wrote in a note to clients. The company was keen to flag that the guidance upgrade was mainly due to a strong U.S. performance of its key asset, Bimzelx, the analysts added.

Write to Adria Calatayud at adria.calatayud@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 22, 2026 04:24 ET (08:24 GMT)