| Former type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Biotechnology |
| Fate | Acquired |
| Successor | UCB |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Defunct | 2004 |
| Headquarters | Slough, UK |
| Key people | Goran Ando (CEO) |
Celltech Group plc was a leading British-based biotechnology business based in Slough. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
Contents |
The Company was founded by Gerard Fairtlough in 1980 with finance from the National Enterprise Board.[1]
In 1999 the Company led consolidation in the UK biosciences market merging with Chiroscience plc and then buying Medeva plc.[2] Then in 2000 it bought Cistron, a US biosciences business.[3]
It expanded into Germany in 2001 buying Thiemann, a German biosciences business.[4]
In 2003 it acquired Oxford Glycosciences, a rival British biosciences business.[5] It was acquired by UCB, a Belgian drugmaker, in 2004.[6] Since then it has been known as UCB Celltech.
The Company was engaged in research and development of therapies for patients with serious diseases. Products included:[7]