Evidence Suggests That Sleep is a Common Problem for People With a Wide Range of Neurological Conditions

UCB Supports World Sleep Day (19th March 2010)

BRUSSELS, Belgium, March 19, 2010 - Patients with neurological diseases need more help with their associated
sleep-wake disturbances that can often make their underlying illness worse,
say leading sleep specialists attending a sleep meeting hosted by
biopharmaceutical company, UCB, to mark World Sleep Day.

    A growing body of evidence to be discussed at the meeting shows that:

    - Disturbed sleep is a common problem for people with Parkinson's
      Disease(1)
    - One in three people with Parkinson's disease suffer from excessive
      daytime sleepiness(2)
    - Over 80% of people with Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) have sudden
      uncontrolled limb movements while they are asleep(3) - leading to
      disturbed sleep for them and their partners
    - 99% of fibromyalgia patients have sleep problems, resulting in worse
      pain and fatigue and reduced ability to lead a normal life(4)
    - People with epilepsy who do not get enough sleep are more likely to
      have seizures(5)
    - Epilepsy patients find it harder to get to sleep and are more likely to
      wake during the night than those who do not have epilepsy(5)
    - Stroke patients often have sleep-wake disturbances, which affect the
      course and outcome of stroke(6)

"Sleep-wake disturbances can in fact represent the first manifestation of
an underlying neurological disorder, for example Parkinson's disease, but can
also influence the course and outcome of a known neurological disorder, for
example epilepsy and stroke," explains meeting chairman, Professor Claudio
Bassetti, President of the European Sleep Research Society (ESRS) and
Scientific Director of the European Neurological Society (ENS). "As
clinicians and researchers, we must address all aspects of our patients'
illness, including their related sleep-wake problems."

New published research suggests that narcolepsy is an autoimmune disease

New research to be discussed at the meeting suggests that the excessive
daytime sleepiness disorder, narcolepsy, is an autoimmune disease.

Recently published research shows that people with narcolepsy have
elevated levels of an immune factor called Trib2-specific antibody(7). This
antibody attacks important cells in the brain that produce hypocretins -
hormonal peptides that regulate sleep and wakefulness(7).

"This is the first research to show that Trib2-specific antibodies target
hypocretin neurones and it suggests that narcolepsy is an autoimmune disease.
We also have preliminary data to suggest that people with early narcolepsy
and high levels of Trib2-specific antibodies may benefit from immunotherapy
to block the autoimmune process," explains one of the researchers, Professor
Mehdi Tafti, from the Center for Investigation and Research in Sleep at the
Centre Hospitalouniversitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Patients highlight the impact of poor sleep on their underlying
neurological disease

Patients who are speaking at the meeting stress the impact of poor sleep
on their underlying neurological disease.

"Before I developed Parkinson's disease, I enjoyed seven or eight hours
sleep every night, but now I rarely get more than five hours and, on a bad
night, I wake up every hour or so. As a result, I am tired all day, and fall
asleep at the drop of a hat. People think it's funny, but it makes it hard
for me to be independent, which is just about the most important thing for
someone with a chronic illness like mine," says Sheila from the UK.

"I had seizures in my sleep, which not only woke me up but left me tired
and forgetful during the day. When I became menopausal, I developed severe
insomnia, which made my seizures worse. Fortunately, I have now found
medication that has decreased my seizures and enabled me to sleep better, so
I can concentrate during the day and start to live my dreams again," explains
Monica from the Netherlands.

"I've had restless legs syndrome nearly all my life and, as a result,
I've had a lot of sleepless nights. Not being able to sleep makes the pains
in my legs and feet and other RLS symptoms worse during the following 24
hours and I can find it hard to concentrate at work. Only when I spent a
night in a sleep laboratory could my doctors see just how badly I was
sleeping, and with their help I began to find ways to improve my symptoms,"
says Sten from Sweden.

About World Sleep Day(8)

World Sleep Day is an international annual event, intended to be a
celebration of sleep and a call to action on important issues related to
sleep, including medicine, education, social aspects and driving. It aims to
lessen the burden of sleep problems on society through better prevention and
management of sleep disorders. World Sleep Day 2010 is being held on March
19th, under the slogan "Sleep Well, Stay Healthy".

This marks the third World Sleep Day event organized by the World
Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM).

As a committed sponsor of World Sleep Day, UCB is supporting the WASM in
its aims to lessen the burden of sleep problems on society through better
prevention and management of these disorders.

About the 1st European Narcolepsy Day

Europe's first Narcolepsy Day was held on March 18th 2010 as an
initiative of the European Narcolepsy Network and under the patronage of the
European Sleep Research Society.

About Restless Legs Syndrome, narcolepsy, Parkinson's disease (PD) and
epilepsy(9)

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by
unpleasant sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move when at
rest in an effort to relieve these feelings. RLS sensations are often
described by people as burning, creeping, tugging, or like insects crawling
inside the legs.

Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain's
inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally. At various times throughout
the day, people with narcolepsy experience irresistible bouts of sleep. If
the urge becomes overwhelming, individuals will fall asleep for periods
lasting from a few seconds to several minutes.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder resulting in the loss
of dopamine-producing brain cells. The four primary symptoms of PD are
tremor, or trembling in hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face; rigidity, or
stiffness of the limbs and trunk; bradykinesia, or slowness of movement; and
postural instability, or impaired balance and coordination.

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder in which clusters of nerve
cells, or neurons, in the brain sometimes signal abnormally. In epilepsy, the
normal pattern of neuronal activity becomes disturbed, causing strange
sensations, emotions, and behavior or sometimes convulsions, muscle spasms,
and loss of consciousness.

About UCB

UCB, Brussels, Belgium is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the
research, development and commercialization of innovative medicines with a
focus on the fields of central nervous system and immunology disorders.
Employing more than 9 000 people in over 40 countries, UCB produced revenue
of EUR 3.1 billion in 2009. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB).

Forward looking statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current
plans, estimates and beliefs of management. Such statements are subject to
risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially
different from those that may be implied by such forward-looking statements
contained in this press release. Important factors that could result in such
differences include: changes in general economic, business and competitive
conditions, effects of future judicial decisions, changes in regulation,
exchange rate fluctuations and hiring and retention of its employees.

    References

    (1). Clarke CE. Parkinson's disease. British Medical Journal 2007; 335;
         441-445
    (2). Arnulf I, Leu-Semenescu S. Sleepiness in Parkinson's disease.
         Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2009 Dec; 15 Suppl 3:S101-4.
    (3). Trenkwalder C, Paulus W, Walters AS. The restless legs syndrome.
         Lancet Neurol 2005; 4: 465.
    (4). Theadom A, Cropley M, Humphrey KL. Exploring the role of sleep and
         coping in quality of life in fibromyalgia. J Psychosom Res. 2007;
         62(2):145-51.
    (5). Bazil CW. Comprehensive care of the epilepsy patient--control,
         comorbidity, and cost. Epilepsia. 2004;45 Suppl 6:3-12.
    (6). Hermann DM, Bassetti CL. Sleep-related breathing and sleep-wake
         disturbances in ischemic stroke Neurology. 2009; 73:1313-22.
    (7). Cvetkovic-Lopes V, Bayer L, Dorsaz S et al. Elevated Tribbles
         homolog 2-specific antibody levels in narcolepsy patients. J Clin
         Invest. 2010 Feb 15. pii: 41366. doi: 10.1172/JCI41366. 2010 March;
         120 (3); 713-719.
    (8). www.friglobalevents.com/wasmonline/ - [accessed 3rd March
         2010]
    (9). www.ninds.nih.gov/ - [accessed 3rd March 2010]

For further information: Eimear O Brien, CNS Communications, UCB T +32-559-9271, eimear.obrien at ucb.com; Nancy Nackaerts, External Communications, UCB T +32-473-864-414, nancy.nackaerts at ucb.com