Gil Roth07.18.12
06 Biogen Idec
14 Cambridge Center
Cambridge, MA 02142
Tel: (617) 679-2000
Fax: (617) 679-2617
www.biogenidec.com
Headcount 5,000
Year Established 2003
Bio/Pharma Revenues $4,833 6%
Total Revenues $5,049 7%
Royalty Revenues $159 16%
Net Income $1,234 23%
R&D Budget $1,220 2%
PROFILE
Top-Selling Drugs
| Drug | Indication | $ | (+/- %) |
| Avonex | multiple sclerosis | $2,687 | 7% |
| Tysabri | multiple sclerosis | $1,080 | 20% |
| Rituxan | non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma | $997 | -7% |
Account for 99% of total biopharma sales, same as in 2009
PROFILE
Biogen Idec may finally have fixed its Tysabri problem! The MS drug suffered years of fits and starts and physician wariness over the potential of patients to develop progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a crippling or fatal viral brain infection. BI and development partner Elan have developed a diagnostic to detect the antibodies that make a person more likely to develop PML.
With the assay and a label-change approval from the FDA and EMA, BI and Elan can now weed out patients with a potential for PML and give doctors more assurance about the drug’s safety. One analyst contended the shift could add $1 billion to Tysabri’s peak sales, which could reach $2.5 to $3.0 billion. Tysabri revenues in 1Q12 jumped 14% to $285 million.
At the end of February, BI filed its new oral MS treatment, BG-12, with the FDA, in hopes of launching in early 2013. On the strength of great Phase III data, some analysts think it could hit $3 to $4 billion in revenues, and wallop Novartis’ first-in-market oral MS treatment Gilenya.
While BI continues to extend its MS franchise, still powered by Avonex, the company is hustling to replenish its early-stage pipeline through in-licensing and acquisitions. BI also formed a JV with Samsung Biologics in December 2011 to develop biosimilars, taking a 15% share of the $300 million investment.
In the near-term, BI looks to be on solid footing, and if its bets in hemophilia and ALS come through, it could be in good shape going extending past its Tysabri patent expiration in 2015.
ACQUISITION NEWS
ACQUISITION NEWS
Target: Stromedix
Price: $75 million upfront, $487.5 million in milestones
Announced: February 2012
What they said: “We believe STX-100 has the potential to be a best-in-class therapy [for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis] and it is an excellent strategic fit with our focus on highly differentiated programs with the potential to make a real difference for patients. The Phase II program complements our scientific expertise and advances our research and development efforts in immunology.”
—Douglas E. Williams, executive vice president, R&D, Biogen Idec
