Important note

Checking the safety profile of our medicines helps us to take the appropriate action to improve the safety of our patients, manage any potential risks associated with the use of the medicine and protect public health.  

By reporting the use of our medicines during pregnancy and/or breastfeeding, even if no side effect was experienced, you will help us monitor safe use of medicines at these special times. Pregnant/breastfeeding women should always consult their HCP before starting any medicines during pregnancy and/or breastfeeding. 

If you wish to report a side effect related to the use of one of our products or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding while using one of our products, please talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse, or contact us by using the webform available here.

Our Mission and Vision

UCB’s mission is to empower women of childbearing age living with chronic diseases to make informed decisions about their healthcare. Our vision is to advance science in the care of these women, as we believe they should be protected through research – not from it.

Play our film below to hear from women discussing the importance of having reliable data, and open and honest conversations about family planning when living with a chronic disease.

▶ Watch 4:35

Family Planning with a Chronic Disease

Starting or expanding a family is exciting but can be a time of uncertainty if living with a chronic disease. No woman should have to choose between her health and her family, but many of you are confronted with confusing information about risks.

At UCB, we believe you can improve the health of both you and your child by managing your disease before, during, and after pregnancy.1,2 Frustratingly, choosing the best treatment while planning for a family is challenging due to insufficient information and data. Just 5% of medications are properly evaluated for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.3   

UCB’s mission is to close the research gaps 

UCB’s mission is to close these research gaps affecting pregnancy and breastfeeding, to empower you and other women with chronic diseases like epilepsy or psoriasis to make informed health decisions.

Our work in this space began more than a decade ago and our mission to empower women with chronic diseases to make informed decisions about their healthcare is deeply rooted in our drug development.

We were one pioneer company to conduct clinical research and to generate strong evidence in women with chronic inflammatory diseases during pregnancy and breastfeeding.4 We design studies with women in mind. We want to protect you and close the research gap.

Scroll below to explore our video content and hear the inspiring real-life stories of Catherine, Candace and Therese – three women living with chronic disease – plus physicians’ perspectives.


Hear from Catherine, living with epilepsy, who seeks additional data generation on the newer drugs for her disease.


Hear from Candace, living with Myasthenia Gravis, about her difficult journey to find information about pregnancy whilst living with her disease.


Hear from Therese, living with Ankylosing Spondylitis, and Dr Nelson-Piercy as they discuss the significance of a patient-doctor relationship during the pregnancy journey.


Hear from Dr Perucca, who advocates for explicit information about treatment for women of childbearing age, to encourage better informed decision-making.


Hear from Catherine, living with epilepsy, and Dr Nelson-Piercy as they talk about the advantages of more data available for patients and healthcare practitioners to ensure informed decision-making.


Hear from Catherine, living with epilepsy, and Dr Perucca as they emphasize the need for more data on new drugs to support patients and physicians to make informed decisions.


Hear from Candace, living with Myasthenia Gravis, and Dr Nelson-Piercy as they discuss the importance of patients having a full understanding of the effects a pregnancy may have on their disease to encourage better informed decision-making. 

Empower your decisions

We’re here to show you that living with a chronic disease shouldn’t stop you from pursuing your dreams and living life to the fullest.

No matter what age or stage in your journey, we’re here to empower you to take proactive next steps. Find tailored disease educational content to take with you to your next healthcare visit.

Download guide

 

 

The following external resources provide further information and guidance for women living with chronic diseases:

Creating value through action

UCB is committed to generating new data for women. Our studies and pregnancy registries are already generating new data to advance the care of women of childbearing age with chronic diseases.

And, alongside key partners, we are changing the way that broader research is being conducted, including our work with the ConcePTION Consortium (a project funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative) and CAMT – Coalition to Advance Maternal Therapeutics (a project jointly launched by the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine) on research specific to pregnant and lactating women.

Our commitment doesn’t stop there. To find out more about the work we do in closing the data gap, click below.
 

Learn more

Read our latest stories

References

  1. Götestam Skorpen C, Hoeltzenbein M, Tincani A, et al. The EULAR points to consider for use of antirheumatic drugs before pregnancy, and during pregnancy and lactation. Ann Rheum Dis. 2016;75(5):795–810.
  2. Tomson T, Battino D, Bromley R, et al. Management of epilepsy in pregnancy: a report from the International League Against Epilepsy Task Force on Women and Pregnancy. Epileptic Disord. 2019;21(6):497–517.
  3. ConcePTION. Background. Available at: https://www.imi-conception.eu/background/. Last accessed: December 2024.
  4. Mariette X, Förger F, Abraham B, et al. Lack of placental transfer of certolizumab pegol during pregnancy: results from CRIB, a prospective, postmarketing, pharmacokinetic study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2018;77:228-33.