Belgium's UCB to buy Ra Pharmaceuticals for $2.1 bln

Oct 10 (Reuters) - UCB has agreed to acquire U.S.-based Ra Pharmaceuticals for $2.1 billion, in a deal that will enable the Belgian drugmaker to offer new treatment opportunities for several rare diseases in neurology and immunology.

The acquisition is expected to be core EPS accretive from 2024 onwards, both companies said on Tuesday in a joint statement, adding they expect to close the deal by the end of the first quarter of next year. (Reporting by Pawel Goraj; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)