UCB, Cancer Research UK and Cancer Research Horizons announce new strategic alliance to accelerate development of novel cancer therapies

Brussels (Belgium) 7th MAY 2026, 07:00 (CEST) – UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced a new multi‑project strategic alliance with Cancer Research UK and its innovation arm, Cancer Research Horizons’. The collaboration will unite Cancer Research UK’s and Cancer Research Horizons’ world‑leading oncology expertise with UCB’s strengths in discovery and development to advance a pipeline of novel investigational oncology candidates.

Under the new alliance, Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development and Cancer Research Horizons’ Therapeutic Innovation teams will work with UCB to progress potential therapeutics from research stages through to early clinical development. The alliance is designed to accelerate the translation of cutting‑edge science into potential new cancer medicines capable of improving outcomes for patients.

The alliance follows a successful multi-project collaboration between UCB and Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development, announced in 2023, which has progressed two antibody drug candidates into ongoing clinical trials recruiting across multiple UK and European sites. The Parties are now expanding the partnership to include earlier‑stage discovery and preclinical programmes, with UCB seeking to leverage Cancer Research UK’s deep oncology knowledge, access to leading clinical investigators, and extensive drug discovery and development capabilities.

As part of the alliance, UCB will nominate research and development projects from its internal discovery pipeline at any stage of development. Each selected project that enters the alliance will be jointly progressed through discovery and preclinical development activities, with Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development then responsible for the design, preparation, sponsorship and performance of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for each candidate.  UCB has nominated two projects to enter this new alliance. 

Research and development costs will be funded jointly by the partners. UCB will retain exclusive rights to further develop and commercialise all programmes that enter the alliance and Cancer Research Horizons will receive undisclosed success-based milestone and royalty payments contingent on downstream project progression.

Lars Erwig, Director of the Centre for Drug Development at Cancer Research UK, said: “This alliance exemplifies our mission to translate exceptional science into life‑changing treatments for people with cancer. By integrating our oncology expertise with UCB’s strengths in molecule discovery, we can accelerate the development of innovative therapeutics with the potential to make real impact for patients.”

Alistair Henry, Executive Vice President & Chief Scientific Officer at UCB said, “Partnering with CRUK’s Centre for Drug Development and Cancer Research Horizons allows us to harness their world-class oncology expertise and clinical insights, complementing UCB’s strengths in discovery and development. This collaboration is a testament to the power of strategic alliances and creates a unique synergy that will enable us to advance promising therapies more efficiently and effectively.”

For further information

Global R&D Communications

Scott Fleming

T: +44.7.702.77.77.38

Scott.fleming@ucb.com

Corporate Communications, Media Relations

Laurent Schots

T +32.2.559.92.64

laurent.schots@ucb.com

Investor Relations

Yvonne Naughton

T +44.175.344.7521

yvonne.naughton@ucb.com

Sahar Yazdian

T +32.2.559.94.37

sahar.yazdian@ucb.com



Cancer Research UK

Fiona Scott

T: +442034695128

fiona.scott@cancer.org.uk

About UCB

UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. With more than 9000 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of € 7.7 billion in 2025. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB). 

About Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development

Cancer Research UK has an impressive record of developing novel treatments for cancer. The Cancer Research UK Centre for Drug Development has been pioneering the development of new cancer treatments for 30 years. It has completed over 170 clinical trials designed to explore potential new anti-cancer agents in patients. Six of these new agents have made it to market, including temozolomide for brain cancer, abiraterone for prostate cancer and rucaparib for ovarian cancer.

About Cancer Research Horizons

Cancer Research Horizons is the innovation engine of Cancer Research UK – the world's largest charitable funder of cancer research. It brings together world-leading minds, bold ideas and the right partners to bridge the gap between academic research and taking drugs to market. It focuses on the tougher, more profound ideas that can lead to true innovation, translating them into effective treatments and diagnostics for cancer patients. To date, it has played an instrumental role in forming over 90 start-ups. It has helped bring 14 cancer drugs to market, born out of Cancer Research UK's pioneering research. Through these drugs, it has enabled in excess of 6 million courses of treatment for cancer patients across the world. With access to Cancer Research UK's network of 4,000 exceptional researchers, and £400m of annual research spend, it is a powerful partner in the fight to conquer cancer. By uniting its commercial partnerships and therapeutic innovation capabilities, Cancer Research Horizons is uniquely placed to support translational funding, entrepreneurial development, data licensing and collaboration, spin-out creation, and offer a full spectrum of drug discovery and clinical capabilities. Every penny it makes goes back into funding the next bold steps, to help bring forward the day when all cancers are conquered.  

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