UCB SA - BNP Paribas Fortis

Rest of World 1,635
Total 9,780
The decrease in headcount since 2008 has been caused by the impact of the streamlining of the UCB
Group in accordance with the SHAPE programme. UCB has re-deployed its resources towards its long
term vision of becoming a patient-centric and specialist-focussed biopharmaceutical company, with the
result of approximately 2,000 redundancies around the world in late 2008 and early 2009. This was
supported by consultation and negotiation in the countries affected, with a dedicated programme
introduced to provide support to staff in finding a new role.
11. COMPETITION
There is intense competition among pharmaceutical and other companies that research, develop,
manufacture or market pharmaceutical products. The UCB Group competes with these entities in all
areas of its business, including competing to attract and retain qualified scientific, technical, and
operational personnel. The UCB Group believes that this competition will continue to increase in the
future.
The competitive position of the products of the UCB Group among the products of other pharmaceutical
companies is based on, among other things, patent protection, data exclusivity, product efficacy, safety,
reliability, availability, patient convenience and price. The UCB Group remains committed to growing
its businesses as well as holding or increasing its market share.
The products of the UCB Group may compete against products that have lower prices, superior
performance, are easier to administer or that are otherwise competitive with products of the UCB
Group. The continued expansion of generic competition worldwide also poses a current and future
competitive challenge to the UCB Group.
Following the expiration or loss of patent protection, certain of the current products of the UCB Group
have experienced increasing competition from generic manufacturers. The UCB Group remains
committed to vigorously defending its intellectual property. In addition, the introduction of new
products or the development of new processes by competitors or new information about existing
products may result in product replacements or price reductions, even for products protected by patents.
Some competitors of the UCB Group are actively engaged in research and development in areas where
the UCB Group is also performing research and developing product candidates. The competitiveness of
the product candidates of the UCB Group is significantly dependent upon the timing of entry into the
market. Early entry may have important advantages in gaining product acceptance contributing to the
product’s eventual success and profitability. Accordingly, in some cases, the relative speed with which
the UCB Group can develop products, complete the clinical testing, receive regulatory approval, and
supply commercial quantities of the product to the market is expected to be important for the
competitive position of the UCB Group.
Certain of the products of the UCB Group face substantial competition from products developed,
manufactured and marketed by large pharmaceutical companies which may have greater clinical,
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