07.20.18
Headquarters: Cambridge, MA
twitter.com/biogenidec
www.biogenidec.com
Headcount: 7,300
Year Established: 2003
Revenues: $12,274 (+7%)
Net Income: $2,539 (-31%)
R&D: $2,254 (+14%)
Top Selling Drugs
Biogen ended 2017 reporting record revenues following the successful launch of Spinraza, and numerous key executive hires. The company added seven clinical programs to its pipeline, including BIIB098 for multiple sclerosis, BIIB092 for both Alzheimer’s disease and progressive supranuclear palsy, and BIIB076 for Alzheimer’s disease. Gazyva, for previously untreated advanced follicular lymphoma, was approved by the FDA in collaboration with Genentech after positive Phase III results showed the Gazyva-based regimen significantly reduced the risk of disease worsening or death compared to a Rituxan-based regimen by 28 percent.
The year was also eventful on the collaboration front. Biogen and Alkermes entered into a global license and collaboration agreement in November 2017 to develop and commercialize ALKS 8700, a novel, oral, monomethyl fumarate small drug molecule in Phase III development for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. In another collaboration, Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals expanded an existing partnership through a new ten-year agreement to develop novel antisense drug candidates for a broad range of neurological diseases. Biogen will pay Ionis $1 billion in cash, which includes $625 million to purchase 11,501,153 shares of Ionis stock, and a $375 million upfront payment. The companies plan to advance programs for a broad range of neurological diseases for which few treatment options exist today, including dementia, neuromuscular diseases, movement disorders, ophthalmology, diseases of the inner ear, and neuropsychiatry.
In January 2018, Biogen committed $10 million in a project with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals to collect genetic information on 500,000 people in the UK Biobank database to help accelerate new drug discovery and improve approval success rates.
In clinical trial news, Biogen initiated AFFINITY, a Phase II trial designed to evaluate opicinumab, a human monoclonal antibody targeting LINGO-1—as an investigational add-on therapy in relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. The trial follows a post-hoc analysis of a Phase II trial involving opicunumab, which identified a specific population of patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis that may be more likely to benefit from the therapy.
Biogen had a very active year with acquisitons. The company entered into an exclusive option agreement with TMS Co., Ltd. to acquire TMS-007 and backup compounds. The agreement included an upfront payment of $4 million and an additional $18 million payment if Biogen exercises its option, with up to $335 million in potential development and commercialization milestones as well as tiered royalties. TMS-007 is a plasminogen activator with a novel mechanism of action associated with breaking down blood clots, and is believed to inhibit local inflammation at the site of thrombosis. Biogen also acquired an experimental ALS drug, KPT-350, from Karyopharm Therapeutics in a transaction worth up to $217 million in upfront and milestone payments.
While there were no billion dollar acquisitions during the year as expected, CEO Michel Vounatsos said in a January 2018 conference call that at the moment in the acquisition space, Biogen is keeping an eye on early assets, where he feels there is the chance to add “tremendous value” to the company.
twitter.com/biogenidec
www.biogenidec.com
Headcount: 7,300
Year Established: 2003
Revenues: $12,274 (+7%)
Net Income: $2,539 (-31%)
R&D: $2,254 (+14%)
Top Selling Drugs
Drug | Indication | 2017 Sales | (+/-%) |
Tecfidera | multiple sclerosis | $4,200 | 6% |
Avonex | multiple sclerosis | $2,630 | 13% |
Tysabri | multiple sclerosis | $1,886 | -4% |
Plegridy | multiple sclerosis | $338 | -29% |
Eloctate | hemophilia | $320 | -37% |
Biogen ended 2017 reporting record revenues following the successful launch of Spinraza, and numerous key executive hires. The company added seven clinical programs to its pipeline, including BIIB098 for multiple sclerosis, BIIB092 for both Alzheimer’s disease and progressive supranuclear palsy, and BIIB076 for Alzheimer’s disease. Gazyva, for previously untreated advanced follicular lymphoma, was approved by the FDA in collaboration with Genentech after positive Phase III results showed the Gazyva-based regimen significantly reduced the risk of disease worsening or death compared to a Rituxan-based regimen by 28 percent.
The year was also eventful on the collaboration front. Biogen and Alkermes entered into a global license and collaboration agreement in November 2017 to develop and commercialize ALKS 8700, a novel, oral, monomethyl fumarate small drug molecule in Phase III development for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. In another collaboration, Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals expanded an existing partnership through a new ten-year agreement to develop novel antisense drug candidates for a broad range of neurological diseases. Biogen will pay Ionis $1 billion in cash, which includes $625 million to purchase 11,501,153 shares of Ionis stock, and a $375 million upfront payment. The companies plan to advance programs for a broad range of neurological diseases for which few treatment options exist today, including dementia, neuromuscular diseases, movement disorders, ophthalmology, diseases of the inner ear, and neuropsychiatry.
In January 2018, Biogen committed $10 million in a project with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals to collect genetic information on 500,000 people in the UK Biobank database to help accelerate new drug discovery and improve approval success rates.
In clinical trial news, Biogen initiated AFFINITY, a Phase II trial designed to evaluate opicinumab, a human monoclonal antibody targeting LINGO-1—as an investigational add-on therapy in relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. The trial follows a post-hoc analysis of a Phase II trial involving opicunumab, which identified a specific population of patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis that may be more likely to benefit from the therapy.
Biogen had a very active year with acquisitons. The company entered into an exclusive option agreement with TMS Co., Ltd. to acquire TMS-007 and backup compounds. The agreement included an upfront payment of $4 million and an additional $18 million payment if Biogen exercises its option, with up to $335 million in potential development and commercialization milestones as well as tiered royalties. TMS-007 is a plasminogen activator with a novel mechanism of action associated with breaking down blood clots, and is believed to inhibit local inflammation at the site of thrombosis. Biogen also acquired an experimental ALS drug, KPT-350, from Karyopharm Therapeutics in a transaction worth up to $217 million in upfront and milestone payments.
While there were no billion dollar acquisitions during the year as expected, CEO Michel Vounatsos said in a January 2018 conference call that at the moment in the acquisition space, Biogen is keeping an eye on early assets, where he feels there is the chance to add “tremendous value” to the company.