UCB sales fall in first-half but new products give confidence for full-year

Belgian pharmaceutical firm UCB saw sales fall by 10% to Euro 1.4bn in the first half owing to generic competition to anti-epileptic drug Keppra (levetiracetam).

The Shape cost-savings plan, however, helped the company achieve a 1% rise in profit to â"šÂ¬363m in the first six months.

Sales of Keppra were down 22% to â"šÂ¬465m as patent expiry reduced sales in North America by 50%. The anti-histamine drug Zyrtec (cetirizine) saw sales rise by 28% to â"šÂ¬169m thanks to the successful launch in Japan of paediatric versions and new formulations, as well as a severe pollen season. Xyzal (levocetirizine) sales fell 21% to â"šÂ¬82m due to a less severe pollen season in Europe.

A mild cough and cold season in the US meant sales of Tussionex (hydrocodone polisterix and chlorpheniramine polisterix) fell 8% to â"šÂ¬67m. Metadate CD (methylphenidate HCI) for attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, had sales of â"šÂ¬42m (+15%).

Cimzia (certolizumab pegol), for Crohn's disease, was approved in the US in May for moderate to severely active rheumatoid arthritis and reached net sales of â"šÂ¬24m.

The new anti-epileptic drug, Vimpat (lacosamide), available in Europe since 2008 and launched in the US in June 2009 as an add-on therapy for the treatment of partial-onset seizures, reached net sales of â"šÂ¬23m.

The Parkinson's patch Neupro (rotigotine) saw net sales drop by 25% to â"šÂ¬27m owing to the US recall in March 2008 and supply in Europe being limited in June 2008 to patients already established on the drug. To address this issue, UCB has implemented a cold-chain storage and distribution system in Europe with all stocks of Neupro replaced with product that is refrigerated from manufacturer to patient. Since the end of June 2009, Neupro is again available to all patients in Europe with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and also newly available in Europe as an option for the symptomatic treatment of adult patients with idiopathic moderate to severe restless legs syndrome.

In terms of r&d, UCB's collaboration with Amgen to develop CDP7851 (also known as AMG 785), an anabolic therapy for bone loss disorders, is progressing.

After receiving regulatory approvals, rheumatoid arthritis drug Cimzia is available in the US and the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency issued a positive opinion on its use for treating moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis in adults. The European Commission is expected to confirm the use of Cimzia in the next couple of months.

Vimpat was also launched in the US for the add-on treatment of epilepsy in adults.

UCB is entitled to receive loyalties on sales of Pfizer's Toviaz (fesoterodine), launched in the US in April 2009 and in Europe in June 2008 for the treatment of an overactive bladder. Royalty income and fees in the first-half amounted to â"šÂ¬114m, up 35%.

"With multiple product launches underway showing already promise, we at UCB now have the future in our hands," said Roch Doliveux, ceo of UCB. "We are focusing on the successful commercialisation of our major new products Cimzia, Vimpat and Neupro. At the same time, we are striving for improved efficiency and more partnerships to strengthen our performance and to continue transforming UCB into the next generation biopharma leader."

Full-year revenue is expected to be between â"šÂ¬3.1-3.3bn, while net profit should reach â"šÂ¬550m.