Singapore: Belgium based pharmaceutical company UCB and global pharmaceutical company, Biogen, have entered into an agreement where UCB gets the right to commercialize Biogen's multiple sclerosis therapies in South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, China, Malaysia and Taiwan, and both develop and commercialize products in Singapore.

As part of the relationship, Biogen Idec will supply UCB with its portfolio of multiple sclerosis therapies and investigational candidates, including TECFIDERA, AVONEX, TYSABRI and FAMPYRA. The relationship also includes ELOCTATE and ALPROLIX, Biogen Idec's investigational long-acting recombinant-based treatments for hemophilia A and B, respectively.

"Our goal is to bring our innovative therapies to patients around the world as quickly and efficiently as possible," said Mr. Carlos Dourado, Senior Vice President, Emerging Markets at Biogen Idec. "By leveraging UCB's extensive resources, expertise and infrastructure in Asia, we are able to grow our footprint in critical Asian markets, get our therapies to patients as quickly as possible and create a foundation for further commercial success in this region."

Mr. Mohamed Chaoui, Head of Asia Pacific at UCB, said, "As a patient centric biopharmaceutical company, UCB is delighted to work with Biogen Idec on delivering some of the most important breakthrough products in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and hemophilia to patients in Asia. This partnership is a strong complement in our goal to offer innovative specialty care therapeutic options to patients suffering from severe diseases. It further supports our strategic goal to strengthen our leadership and expertise in biologics in both neurology and immunology in Singapore and the Asian region."

Mr. Chaoui added, "We are committed to broadening and deepening our presence in Asia and offering patients and healthcare providers around the Asian region access to new and innovative treatment options. This agreement is also an important step for our specialty focused expansion in Singapore. It will help drive our business growth in other Southeast Asian markets, which is one of our top strategic priorities."

In Singapore, UCB launched TYSABRI in 2013 and intends to bring the other medicines to the market from 2014 onwards, pending regulatory approval. The offerings are complementary to UCB's existing CNS portfolio and will enable the company to rapidly increase its critical mass in Singapore, reinforcing its strategic presence in both public and private hospitals and specialist clinics that have the potential to leverage UCB's broader range of innovative solutions for their patients. Further, the launch-ready offerings will accelerate UCB's expansion into Singapore, which the company has identified as a strategic growth priority. UCB's competency in infrastructure development highlights the company's commitment to investing in Singapore and the region.