US FDA approves UCB bowel disease drug

WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - U.S. health officials have approved UCB Inc's (UCB.BR: Quote, Profile, Research) experimental drug to treat Crohn's disease, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday.

The drug, called Cimzia, aims to treat patients with the chronic, inflammatory bowel disease but puts them "at increased risk for serious adverse effects, including serious infections that can lead to hospitalization or death," the FDA said.

Common side effects reported with the drug include headache, upper respiratory infections, abdominal pain and nausea, it added.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey)