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About UCB in Rheumatology

 

For more than 90 years, UCB has remained focused on delivering moments that matter for people living with severe diseases. This belief drives our efforts to make recognizable improvements in the lives of people impacted by a range of rheumatic conditions as we work with patient advocates, community leaders, and healthcare professionals to advance solutions. 

With a proven heritage in rheumatology, UCB is growing our portfolio to deliver treatments that expand value for people living with a spectrum of rheumatic conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and less common types of arthritis, such as non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Patients are at the heart of everything we do – from discovery to development to delivery. We leverage patient insights to inform our science and develop innovative and differentiated solutions across our portfolio that are tailored to patient populations.
 

Pillars of UCB Rheumatology

Our approach to discovering, developing, and delivering highly differentiated medicines starts and ends with the people who need it the most. UCB’s goal is to enable affordable access to our medicines for all people who need them, in a way that is sustainable for patients, society, and UCB.

UCB maintains deep connections with patient and scientific communities within immunology to drive innovation and ensure our work has the greatest possible impact, now and into the future.


In rheumatology, we have a rich pipeline aiming to serve people living with chronic inflammatory conditions with high unmet needs including psoriatic arthritis, non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and lupus.

UCB is standardizing higher treatment thresholds as primary and secondary endpoints in our active clinical trial programs across the spectrum of rheumatic conditions.  

We are also embedding cutting-edge technologies and digital innovation into everyday care for people with chronic inflammatory diseases to deliver a personalized experience, accelerate early intervention, and reduce time to diagnosis.
 

 

A Spotlight on Rheumatic Disease

 

Rheumatic disease refers to a spectrum of diseases including arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and other conditions that affect the joints, tendons, ligaments, bones, and muscles. These numerous conditions have debilitating impacts on people living with them. We are committed to addressing the unmet needs of people living with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases while delivering sustainable value for UCB and society.

Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)      

PsA is an inflammatory musculoskeletal disease with both autoimmune and autoinflammatory features.1 It is characterized by inflammation, joint swelling, back pain, and fatigue.2,3

> Download the PsA Infographic 

Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)

AS is a form of arthritis that causes inflammation in the joints and ligaments of the spine.4 There is no cure for AS. Symptom management typically includes exercise and medications to help control back pain and inflammation, improve posture and body position, and slow the progression of the disease.4
 

> Download the AS Infographic  

Non-radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA)

nr-axSpA is an inflammatory arthritis and a form of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). This condition primarily affects the spine and the joints linking the pelvis and lower spine (sacroiliac joints), but signs and symptoms, including pain, stiffness, and inflammatory bowel disease, can occur in other parts of the body.5

> Download the nr-axSpA Infographic

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA):


RA is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks one’s own body's tissues.6 It can damage a wide variety of body systems, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, and blood vessels.6

  • Signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may include:7,8

    • Tender, warm, swollen joints

    • Joint stiffness that is usually worse in the mornings and after periods of inactivity

    • Fatigue, fever, and loss of appetite

  • Risk factors for RA include:8

    • Age: RA can develop at any time, but the risk for developing it increases with older age.

    • Sex: RA is more common among women, with two to three times as many women as men estimated to be living with the disease.

    • Family history: Having a family member with RA.

Pipeline
Rheumatology
Clinical Trials

 

 

  1. Haroon M, Fitzgerald O. Pathogenetic overview of psoriatic disease. J Rheumatol Suppl. 2012 Jul;89:7-10.
  2. Mayo Clinic. Psoriatic Arthritis Symptoms & Causes. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/psoriatic-arthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354076. Accessed July 2023.
  3. Krajewska-Włodarczyk, M., Owczarczyk-Saczonek, A., & Placek, W. Fatigue - an underestimated symptom in psoriatic arthritis. Reumatologia. 2017;55(3): 125–130. https://doi.org/10.5114/reum.2017.68911.
  4. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Ankylosing Spondylitis. 2022 Feb. Available at: https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/ankylosing-spondylitis. Accessed July 2023. 
  5. Spondylitis Association of America. Overview of Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA). Available at: https://spondylitis.org/about-spondylitis/overview-of-spondyloarthritis/non-radiographic-axial-spondyloarthritis-nr-axspa/. Accessed July 2023.
  6. Arthritis.org. Rheumatoid Arthritis: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments and More. Available at https://www.arthritis.org/diseases/rheumatoid-arthritis. Accessed July 2023.
  7. Mayo Clinic. Rheumatoid Arthritis. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20353648. Last accessed: September 2023.
  8. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Available at: https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/rheumatoid-arthritis. Last Accessed: September 2023.

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