Preparing for Multiple Potential Product Launches in Coming Years
Focused on Growing Leadership Position in MS, Advancing Late-Stage Pipeline and Increasing R&D Capabilities
WESTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) will present today its plans for driving the continued strong commercial performance of its existing multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments, preparing for the potential launches of multiple new high-impact therapies, advancing its late-stage pipeline, and leveraging its research and development (R&D) capabilities to grow its early-stage pipeline.
“Biogen Idec had a remarkable year in 2011, which laid important groundwork for our future,” said Biogen Idec’s Chief Executive Officer George A. Scangos, Ph.D. “We are poised for exceptional growth in the coming years, and we are focused on execution in 2012 to make sure we deliver on that promise. We are committed to growing our current portfolio of leading MS treatments, while we also invest in innovative science and pipeline programs with the greatest potential to improve the lives of patients with neurodegenerative diseases, hemophilia and autoimmune diseases.”
Poised for Exceptional Growth, Focused on Execution
In his presentation at 2:30 p.m. PST today at the 30th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, Dr. Scangos will detail the significant opportunities on the horizon for Biogen Idec through the continued growth of its marketed products as well as the potential launch between now and the end of 2015 of multiple new products in MS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and hemophilia. To capitalize on those opportunities, Biogen Idec is focused on executing on four key strategic priorities in 2012.
- Grow its leadership position in MS by:
- Advancing its AVONEX ® (interferon beta-1a) franchise through improvements such as a PEGylated form of interferon beta-1a that could potentially offer patients once-monthly or biweekly dosing.
- Unlocking the value of TYSABRI® (natalizumab) by helping patients better understand their individual risk-benefit profile through risk stratification.
- Expanding FAMPYRA®’s (prolonged-release fampridine tablets) footprint in Europe through additional launches and regulatory filings.
- Prepare for potential launch of multiple high-impact therapies by:
- Filing for approval in the first half of this year for BG-12 in MS and building patient support services and specialty distribution.
- Building the commercial team and patient services programs in hemophilia for its long-acting factor VIII and factor IX programs, which will both have data readouts this year.
- Advance late-stage pipeline by:
- Delivering the data readout from the first Phase 3 trial of dexpramipexole in ALS by year-end.
- Continuing to advance the daclizumab Phase 3 program in MS.
- Drive innovation and grow early-stage pipeline by:
- Building world-class scientific teams in its core therapeutic areas.
- Advancing the company’s internal early-stage pipeline programs.
- Advancing existing strategic collaborations, including those with Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and entering into additional collaborations in neurology, immunology and hemophilia.
- Continuing to focus its research and early discovery efforts.
- Increasing its emphasis on translational research, including biomarker and imaging technologies, to drive better decision-making.
In addition, through its joint venture with Samsung, Biogen Idec expects to leverage its expertise and capabilities in protein engineering, cell line development and recombinant biologics manufacturing to position the company to participate in the emerging market for biosimilars.
About Biogen Idec
Through cutting-edge science and medicine, Biogen Idec discovers, develops and delivers to patients worldwide innovative therapies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, hemophilia and autoimmune disorders. Founded in 1978, Biogen Idec is the world’s oldest independent biotechnology company. Patients worldwide benefit from its leading multiple sclerosis therapies, and the company generates nearly $5 billion in annual revenues. For product labeling, press releases and additional information about the company, please visit www.biogenidec.com.
Biogen Idec Safe Harbor
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about our 2012 goals, prospects for growth, regulatory filings and agency actions, commercial launch plans, and the anticipated development, timing and therapeutic scope of programs in our clinical pipeline. These forward-looking statements may be accompanied by such words as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "target," "will" and other words and terms of similar meaning. You should not place undue reliance on these statements.
These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements, including our dependence on our three principal products, AVONEX, RITUXAN and TYSABRI, the importance of TYSABRI’s sales growth, uncertainty of success in commercializing other products, product competition, the occurrence of adverse safety events with our products, changes in the availability of reimbursement for our products, adverse market and economic conditions, our dependence on collaborations and other third parties over which we may not always have full control, failure to execute our growth initiatives, failure to comply with government regulation and possible adverse impact of changes in such regulation, our ability to protect our intellectual property rights and the cost of doing so, the risks of doing business internationally, problems with our manufacturing processes and our reliance on third parties, charges and other costs related to our properties, fluctuations in our effective tax rate, our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, product liability claims, fluctuations in our operating results, the market, interest and credit risks associated with our portfolio of marketable securities, our level of indebtedness, environmental risks, change of control provisions in our collaborations, representation of activist shareholders on our board of directors, and the other risks and uncertainties that are described in the Risk Factors section of our most recent annual or quarterly report and in other reports we have filed with the SEC.
These statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations and speak only as of the date of this press release. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements.
CONTACT:
Biogen Idec
Media:
Director, Public Affairs
Naomi Aoki, (781) 464-3260
or
Investors:
Associate Director, Investor Relations
Kia Khaleghpour, (781) 464-2442
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