UCB Establishes the Emmanuel Janssen Endowed Chair for the Evaluation of Medicines at Brigham and Women's Hospital

UCB Establishes the Emmanuel Janssen Endowed Chair for the Evaluation of Medicines at Brigham and Women's Hospital

PR Newswire

BRUSSELS and ATLANTA, Oct. 23, 2026

• Permanent endowment advances pharmacoepidemiology and real-world evidence research
• Sebastian Schneeweiss, MD, ScD, an internationally recognized pharmacoepidemiologist whose research focuses on improving medication safety, effectiveness, and value through real-world evidence, has been named the chair's inaugural incumbent.

BRUSSELS and ATLANTA, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company focused on severe diseases, today announced the establishment of the Emmanuel Janssen Endowed Chair for the Evaluation of Medicines at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham system. Named in honor of Emmanuel Janssen and his legacy at UCB, the chair recognizes a longstanding commitment to advancing science and improving patient care. Sebastian Schneeweiss, MD, ScD, has been named the chair's inaugural incumbent.

The gift creates a permanently endowed chair fund in the specialty of pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomics.

UCB selected Brigham and Women's Hospital in recognition of the institution's leadership in pharmacoepidemiology and real-world evidence (RWE), and its work with both regulators and payers to establish RWE as a pivotal part of evidence generation.

"We selected Brigham and Women's Hospital because of its leadership in pharmacoepidemiology and its ability to translate real-world evidence into insights that can inform decisions by regulators, payers, clinicians, and patients," said Emmanuel Caeymaex, Head of Patient Evidence at UCB. "This endowed chair reflects our commitment to advancing rigorous evidence generation and supporting research that can improve how medicines are evaluated and used in clinical practice."

"I am deeply grateful to UCB Pharma for its generous support of pharmacoepidemiology research across our system," said Jose Florez, MD, PhD, Chair of the Department of Medicine at Mass General Brigham. "An endowed chair is among the highest honors we can bestow upon a physician-scientist, recognizing both extraordinary achievement and the promise of continued discovery. This investment by UCB Pharma will help us continue to progress in a field that is essential to improving how medicines are evaluated and used to benefit patients."

"I am sincerely grateful to receive this extraordinary honor," said Sebastian Schneeweiss, MD, ScD, inaugural incumbent of the Emmanuel Janssen Endowed Chair for the Evaluation of Medicines. "Through our research, we strive to generate rigorous evidence, guide better decisions, and improve care for patients. This chair will help advance that important work for years to come."

A celebration honoring the establishment of the chair and its inaugural incumbent was held on Thursday, October 22, 2026, in the Stewart and Susan Satter Atrium of the Hale Building for Transformative Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston.

The program featured remarks from Dr. Florez; Robert Califf, MD, former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Jerry Avorn, MD, Founding Chief Emeritus of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women's Hospital; Charles-Antoine Janssen, Director and Vice Chair of the UCB Board of Directors, Emmanuel Caeymaex on behalf of UCB; and Dr. Schneeweiss.

About UCB in the U.S.
UCB has maintained a significant U.S. presence for decades, including its U.S. headquarters and eight offices across six communities in California, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Washington, and Washington, D.C. With nearly 2,000 U.S. employees focused on research, development, and commercial operations across the country, UCB is adding a U.S. biomanufacturing campus in Georgia, which will create 330+ new, highly skilled jobs. UCB has increased its U.S. workforce by more than 70% since 2017, with over 25% of U.S. employees dedicated to R&D. Over the last decade, UCB has made significant investments in U.S. companies through acquisitions and partnerships and has achieved 15 FDA approvals, advancing innovation, supporting high-quality jobs, and delivering meaningful progress for patients.

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 9 000 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of € 7.7 billion in 2025. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB).

For further information, contact UCB:

U.S. Communications
Jeanna Buck-Simpson
Email: jeanna.buck-simpson@ucb.com
Telephone: 202-774-6315

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