Manufacturer
UCB Pharma is a global biopharmaceutical company that is spread worldwide from USA to Europe and Japan the main headquaters is located in Brussels. The company produces high -tech drugs and new therapeutic solutions for patient treatment. The main focuses of the company are the following fields:
- CNS(central nervous system) disorders (with epilepsy)
- Inflammatory diseases (with allergies)
- Oncology
Amongst some of the most well known drugs that were developed by the company are:
- Atarax (Hydroxyzine)
- Nootropil (Piracetam)
- Zyrtec (Cetirizine)
- Keppra (levetiracetam)
- Xyzal (levocetirizine)
- Cimza (antibody fragment)
The company was founded in 1928 by Emmanuel Janssen, a Belgian businessman. Firstly the company focused on chemical production for different industries and also included a small division dedicated to pharmaceuticals based near Meurice Laboratories.
In 1950 the research center for new drug development in UCB was established. The first drug to that was made there was Atarax. In 1970 the company focused on 3 areas of development: Pharmaceuticals, chemicals and films. In 2004 UCB transformed in a global biopharmaceutical company through acquiring Celltech UK.
In 1980 UCB has produced its first blockbuster drug called Zyrtec(Cetirizine) an selective H1-receptor antagonist the brand soon acquired more than $1 billion in sales for the company.
Zyrtec(Cetirizine) is a racemic compound that is used to treat:
- Seasonal allergic rhinitis
- Perennial allergic rhinitis
- Chronic Urticaria
The drug was approved to be sold OTC (other the counter) in USA on 21 of November 2007. There are also no restrictions on Zyrtec sales due to low possibility of side-effects and good results during the period when the medicine was only given by prescription.