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UCB Pharma (Thailand)'s story
UCB Pharma ( Thailand ) Ltd. is a subsidiary of UCB S.A., Belgium. The parent company was established in 1928. Initially it produced only chemicals. Later, it added the manufacture of pharmaceuticals to its business.
At present, its core business is biopharmaceuticals. UCB commenced operations in Thailand in 1970 affiliated with Lepetit Co, Ltd. It later registered its company name as UCB (Thailand) Ltd. In 1982, it changed the company name to UCB Pharma (Thailand) Ltd. and continues to operate under this name.
UCB’s first business location in Thailand was on Charoennakorn Road. Continued business growth led to a need for enlarged premises and successive moves to obtain larger quarters. Business operations were transferred to two units of a 4-storey building at Chongnonsee. Further growth required a move to the 27th floor, Panjathani Tower on Nonsee Road in 1997.
In 2003, UCB moved to its current location on the 21st floor of the same building.
The sale of pharmaceuticals has significant impact on the human population served. Assuring the safety of its consumers is properly the highest priority of UCB Thailand. UCB considers its personnel resources of supreme importance in pursuing and achieving this objective on behalf of the public. Continuing education programs, therefore, play an important role in assuring the quality of its workforce. Varied training courses, conducted by experts in the medical and pharmaceutical community, are available to assist in maintaining the high levels of skill expected of UCB personnel.
Sound organizational development requires recognition of the key role played by the qualified human resources of any business enterprise. Effective training, therefore, enlarges and enriches employee knowledge of their role and equips them with breadth and scope of vision. The world is currently fast-moving and constantly changing. New diseases appear now as in the past. Keeping step with this changing world, confronting its new diseases through vigilance and competent research is essential. To this end, in 2004, approximately 15-17% of the yearly total sales were invested in research and development to address the challenge of new diseases and to advance the treatment of existing ones. UCB's success is based on these policies and practices.
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Quality / Standard of UCB's Products
Sixty percent of the total products sold by UCB Pharma (Thailand) are imported from Belgium and Switzerland. Some are produced in Thailand by Olic (Thailand) Ltd., under licensing provisions that assure adherence to UCB's standards of production. This latter category makes up forty percent of the total products sold.
The quality of UCB's products entails many different processes: selection of raw materials, use of chemicals, maintenance of proven production methods, assuring safe and rapid transport and protected storage facilities. UCB adheres to strict policies and practices in all phases of production, transport and storage of its pharmaceuticals. The manufacturers appointed for UCB are required to be responsible for producing pharmaceuticals according to UCB's fixed standard in order to attain the highest quality of the products. In the highly competitive pharmaceutical market, there is a risk among some producers of placing excessive importance on pricing and disregarding the importance of maintaining the highest standards of quality control in the production and delivery of pharmaceuticals. UCB recognizes that at all times, the life and health of its consumers is the highest value and calls for the strictest policies to support that value. Consequently, UCB will not compromise its policies and practices designed to assure patient safety.
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Profits return to society
In addition to continuing education for staff, UCB also provides educational programs for physicians, pharmacists, medical officials, drugstore owners and other persons associated with the sale of pharmaceuticals.
In order to conduct pharmaceutical business, it is vital that drugs be distributed through physicians, pharmacists, medical officials and drugstores, and not directly sold to customers or the ultimate users. These groups, therefore, need to have wide product knowledge to permit them to make a sound recommendation to their patients. In addition, UCB Pharma (Thailand) cooperates with physicians and pharmacists in conducting group training programs 5 to 6 times per month for medical personnel and drugstore vendors. In addition, UCB provides them with disease advice, services and directions for the use of medicine. For those who need additional information, UCB provides telephone information services.
UCB has also joined with PReMA (PPA) to sponsor many social activities for the public, drug donations and personal computer donations to schools, the Thai Red Cross, the late Princess Mother's Doctor Volunteer Foundation, the Sports Authority of Thailand, the project under Friend in Need Volunteers Foundation of the Thai Red Cross, and other such organizations.
UCB in the future
UCB has transformed itself into a pure biopharmaceutical company, enabling specialists in severe diseases and investors to benefit from the best of both worlds ... a world where patients with severe diseases, such as epilepsy, will be able to enjoy the advantages of both large-and small-molecule solutions ... a world that combines the global infrastructure, managerial experience and commercial expertise of a traditional mid-cap pharma with the speed, innovation and entrepreneurship of a small biotech company.
UCB strategy is to focus on severe diseases treated by specialists, covering three main therapeutic areas: the central nervous system (CNS), inflammation and immunology (including allergy), and oncology. By concentrating our R&D on a limited range of severe diseases, we increase the likelihood of major, high-value innovations. By targeting specialists in these diseases, we can reach our customers with a relatively small sales force. Thus, UCB Pharma (Thailand) will continue to pursue : " The Next Generation Biopharma Leader " |
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