UCB's Xyzal drug patent challenged in U.S.-analyst

BRUSSELS Feb 28 (Reuters) - Belgian pharmaceutical group UCB (UCB.BR) has received a patent challenge for its antihistamine drug Xyzal, a Deutsche Bank research note said on Thursday.

"We had expected such a challenge given Xyzal is protected only by new product exclusivity, not new chemical entity exclusivity," the research report said.

It added that the challenge had little implication for its valuation of UCB.

A UCB spokeswoman said she was unaware of the challenge but that such a procedure was to be expected.

Xyzal is UCB's follow-up drug to its successful Zyrtec and was launched in the United States last year. (Reporting by Julien Ponthus; Editing by David Cowell)