Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Want Pain-Free Shopping Days at Christmas

A Third of Women Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis in the U.K. say They Don't Enjoy Christmas as Much as They Used to due to Their Condition

LONDON, December 14 - A survey of women in the United Kingdom (U.K.) reveals that rheumatoid
arthritis (RA) has a severe emotional and physical impact on people living
with the disease and their families. Feelings of detachment and isolation
from those closest to them due to RA are especially prevalent at Christmas,
which should be one of the happiest times of the year. The survey findings of
300 women with RA living in the U.K. suggest that 33% feel the disease
impacts on their enjoyment of family events like Christmas, which increases
to 39% for women with moderate RA.

The survey, sponsored by biopharmaceutical company UCB, highlights that
more than a quarter (26%) of women with RA find it always more painful to
attend parties and celebrations or have stopped attending altogether; this
increases to 67% for women with severe RA. Additionally, RA is impacting on
personal relations, with more than a quarter of women believing the condition
affects their closest relationships for the worse, and 61% feeling that
friends and family do not understand their pain.

"Three quarters of UK women living with RA experience pain every day,
which can be more intense during busy times of the year, such as Christmas,
and this can seriously impact a patient's enjoyment of the festive season.
More than half of patients included in the survey are not talking to their
physician about pain control options, which is imperative to enable them to
take control of their pain, especially around Christmas when pain can be a
considerable issue. This will ensure that more patients achieve a pain free
'good day' and ultimately improve their quality of life." Said Professor Paul
Emery, Professor of Rheumatology, University of Leeds.

Pain is a huge issue for women living with RA in the U.K., as 76% of
respondents report experiencing pain daily. This can be exacerbated by the
dexterity needed for even the simplest of Christmas tasks which is
illuminated by the survey with 65% of severe RA respondents finding it
difficult to write Christmas cards.

Shopping for gifts, preparing food, writing cards and going to parties
are four festive activities that women living with RA in the U.K find most
difficult to do. Among women with severe RA, more than three quarters (78%)
experience difficulty when shopping for gifts, and 71% report it painful to
prepare Christmas food, with more than a quarter (27%) of these women having
stopped Christmas cooking altogether.

"So many women with RA in the UK have to live with the pain associated
with this debilitating disease, and the survey highlights that this is
particularly difficult to deal with during the Christmas period," said Ailsa
Bosworth, CEO of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society. "The pain
associated with RA is undertreated in the UK in our experience; we need to do
a better job of getting people's disease under control more rapidly to enable
people to enjoy more 'good days', particularly at this time of year."

In light of the 'Good Days' survey findings, UCB and the National
Rheumatoid Arthritis Society have collaborated to develop the '12 Tips of
Christmas' with information to help people with RA manage and enjoy the
hectic holiday season. Please visit www.nras.org.uk/12Tips or email
12Tips@fleishman.com for the full guide that details ways to embrace and
enjoy the countdown to Christmas.

The U.K. survey findings are part of a global 'Good Days' survey which
evaluated the impact of RA on 1,958 women with RA from seven countries
worldwide. The survey findings suggest that women in the U.K. experience
greater difficulty and pain due to their condition than women living with RA
in the rest of the world. Whereas 76% of women in the U.K. experience pain
caused by their disease on a daily basis, on average only 63% of women
worldwide report daily pain from their RA. The global survey shows that the
feelings of isolation due to RA are universal and all women with RA report
that they conceal pain from family and friends, and worry about losing their
independence.

About the 'Good Days' Survey

The 'Good Days' Survey was conducted in August 2009 as part of a global
initiative assessing the lifestyles of women with rheumatoid arthritis in
seven major industrialized countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain,
the United Kingdom and the United States. Objectives of the Survey included
identification of the physical and emotional impact of RA on day-to-day lives
of women living with the disease. A component of the Survey examined the
affects of the disease on people living with RA during the festive season.

Nearly 2,000 women aged between 25-65 years living with RA for six months
or more were interviewed online about the impact of the disease on their
lives. Of those interviewed in the 'Good Days' survey, 300 women with RA were
from the U.K.

About Rheumatoid Arthritis

It is estimated that 5 million people suffer from RA globally, with 0.8
percent of the U.K. adult population being affected. Prevalence is not split
evenly between genders, since women are three times more likely to be
affected than men3. Although RA can affect people of all ages, the onset of
the disease usually occurs between 30-50 years of age.

RA symptoms often lead to restricted mobility and permanent damage and
disfigurement of the joints and bones. People living with RA are at a higher
risk of developing other conditions, including heart disease, stroke,
depression, infections, lung problems and osteoporosis.

About UCB

UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) 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 approximately 10,000 people in over 40
countries, UCB generated revenue of EUR 3.6 billion in 2008. UCB is listed
on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB).

For further information: Scott Fleming, Global Immunology Public Relations, +44-770-277-7378, Scott.fleming at ucb.com; Abigail Dewberry, Fleishman-Hillard, +44-207-395-7184, abigail.dewberry at fleishmaneurope.com; Jen Shiba, Fleishman-Hillard, +44-207-395-7102, jen.shiba at fleishmaneurope.com