Pretoria, South Africa – 6th May 2026 - Clinigen, the global pharmaceutical services company focused on providing access to medicines, today announces a strategic promotion and distribution agreement with UCB Pharma S.A., a global biopharmaceutical company based in Belgium, to expand access to key therapies across South Africa.
Under the agreement, Clinigen has been appointed to distribute and commercialize three established therapies from UCB: Briviact® (Brivaracetam), Vimpat® (Lacosamide), and Cimzia® (Certolizumab Pegol). This agreement will improve patient access to these treatments, supporting healthcare professionals in South Africa to manage complex and chronic conditions.
Briviact® and Vimpat® are antiepileptic medicines indicated for the treatment of focal seizures in patients with epilepsy as part of long-term disease management.
Cimzia® is a tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor indicated for the treatment of specific chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, and plaque psoriasis. Patients with these immune-mediated conditions often face progressive disease, pain, disability and reduced quality of life, highlighting the role of biologic therapies as part of the clinical management of these conditions.
The agreement will be focused exclusively on South Africa, with the ambition of reaching a broad network of healthcare providers and stakeholders. This agreement reflects Clinigen’s commitment as a partner for commercialization, expanding education & awareness and access solutions to multinational biopharmaceutical companies like UCB, and in bringing therapies to diverse markets.
Dr. Varun Sethi, CEO, Clinigen commented: “Expanding access to essential medicines in underserved regions remains central to Clinigen’s purpose. Our agreement with UCB reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that patients across South Africa can benefit from improved access to established therapies in neurology and immunology. By leveraging our expertise across regulatory navigation, distribution, and market access, we support healthcare systems in improving the availability of treatment options for patients.”
“We are pleased to partner with Clinigen to broaden access to our therapies across South Africa. This collaboration reflects UCB’s commitment to reaching more patients living with severe neurological and immunological conditions, particularly in regions where access to treatment can be limited.” Said Cristina Bautista, General Manager, Middle East & Africa, Latina and Ukraine at UCB.
For further information, please contact:
Raquel Lee / Hamzah Brown / Anindita Roy
SPAG FINN Partners
Clinigen@finnpartners.com
This press release contains information about medicines that are not approved in all territories. Not all products or indications described are available in every market. The intent of this press release is to share pertinent information with the investment community about this collaboration between Clinigen and UCB. This communication does not constitute, and should not be construed as, promotion or advertising for any medicine or indication.