No-Moat UCB's Growth Products Fuel Revenue Expansion Amid Declining Sales for Legacy Drugs
UCB emerged as a major biopharmaceutical player in the 1990s with the development of blockbuster drugs Zyrtec and Keppra. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, UCB transformed from a hybrid pharma/chemical firm into a pure-play biopharmaceutical company by shedding its packaging, film, and chemical businesses. Acquisitions of Celltech (2004) and Schwarz Pharma (2006) strengthened the pipeline, bringing in late-stage assets that would eventually be approved as Cimzia (immunology), Vimpat (epilepsy), and Neupro (Parkinson's disease). These products helped offset the impact of Zyrtec and Keppra's patent losses, and UCB has continued to shape its expertise in immunology and central nervous system disorders.
United States