LONDON (Reuters) - The European Medicines Agency said on Thursday it was continuing to recommend against approval of UCB's (UCB.BR: Quote, Profile, Research) key new drug Cimzia as a treatment for Crohn's disease, after re-examining the case.

The decision is a blow for the Belgian drugmaker, which is looking to Cimzia to replace sales of older products lost to generics. It had hoped to overturn an earlier negative opinion from the agency handed down in November.

(Reporting by Ben Hirschler)