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Category: Biogen (BIIB)
Date: 3 February 2021 Stock price of Biogen (BIIB): $277.72 We take a more detailed look at Biogen (BIIB) a global biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and delivering worldwide innovative therapies for people living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases as well as related therapeutic adjacencies
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Our core growth areas include multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuroimmunology; Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia; neuromuscular disorders, including spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)"
More About Biogen (BIIB)
Biogen is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and delivering worldwide innovative therapies for people living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases as well as related therapeutic adjacencies. Our core growth areas include multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuroimmunology; Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia; neuromuscular disorders, including spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); movement disorders, including Parkinson's disease; and ophthalmology. We are also focused on discovering, developing and delivering worldwide innovative therapies in our emerging growth areas of immunology; neurocognitive disorders; acute neurology; and pain. In addition, we commercialize biosimilars of advanced biologics. We support our drug discovery and development efforts through the commitment of significant resources to discovery, research and development programs and business development opportunities
Our marketed products include TECFIDERA, AVONEX, PLEGRIDY, TYSABRI, VUMERITY and FAMPYRA for the treatment of MS; SPINRAZA for the treatment of SMA; and FUMADERM for the treatment of severe plaque psoriasis. We also have certain business and financial rights with respect to RITUXAN for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and other conditions; RITUXAN HYCELA for the treatment of nonHodgkin's lymphoma and CLL; GAZYVA for the treatment of CLL and follicular lymphoma; OCREVUS for the treatment of primary progressive MS (PPMS) and relapsing MS (RMS); and other potential anti-CD20 therapies pursuant to our collaboration arrangements with Genentech, Inc. (Genentech), a wholly-owned member of the Roche Group.
Collaborative and Other Relationships, to our consolidated financial statements included in this report. For over two decades we have led in the research and development of new therapies to treat MS, resulting in our leading portfolio of MS treatments. Now our research is focused on additional improvements in the treatment of MS, such as the development of next generation therapies for MS, with a goal to reverse or possibly repair damage caused by the disease. We also introduced the first approved treatment for SMA and are continuing to pursue research and development for potential advancements in the treatment of SMA, including a muscle enhancement program, novel antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) drug candidates and an oral splicing modulator. We are also applying our scientific expertise to solve some of the most challenging and complex diseases, including AD, ALS, Parkinson's disease, choroideremia (CHM), X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE), cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS), stroke, epilepsy and pain. Our innovative drug development and commercialization activities are complemented by our biosimilar business that expands access to medicines and reduce the cost burden for healthcare systems.
Through Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd. (Samsung Bioepis), our joint venture with Samsung BioLogics Co., Ltd. (Samsung BioLogics), we market and sell BENEPALI, an etanercept biosimilar referencing ENBREL, IMRALDI, an adalimumab biosimilar referencing HUMIRA, and FLIXABI, an infliximab biosimilar referencing REMICADE, in certain countries in Europe and have exclusive rights to commercialize these products in China. Additionally, we have exclusive rights to commercialize two potential ophthalmology biosimilar products, SB11 referencing LUCENTIS and SB15 referencing EYLEA, in major markets worldwide, including the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia
Our marketed products include TECFIDERA, AVONEX, PLEGRIDY, TYSABRI, VUMERITY and FAMPYRA for the treatment of MS; SPINRAZA for the treatment of SMA; and FUMADERM for the treatment of severe plaque psoriasis. We also have certain business and financial rights with respect to RITUXAN for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and other conditions; RITUXAN HYCELA for the treatment of nonHodgkin's lymphoma and CLL; GAZYVA for the treatment of CLL and follicular lymphoma; OCREVUS for the treatment of primary progressive MS (PPMS) and relapsing MS (RMS); and other potential anti-CD20 therapies pursuant to our collaboration arrangements with Genentech, Inc. (Genentech), a wholly-owned member of the Roche Group.
Collaborative and Other Relationships, to our consolidated financial statements included in this report. For over two decades we have led in the research and development of new therapies to treat MS, resulting in our leading portfolio of MS treatments. Now our research is focused on additional improvements in the treatment of MS, such as the development of next generation therapies for MS, with a goal to reverse or possibly repair damage caused by the disease. We also introduced the first approved treatment for SMA and are continuing to pursue research and development for potential advancements in the treatment of SMA, including a muscle enhancement program, novel antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) drug candidates and an oral splicing modulator. We are also applying our scientific expertise to solve some of the most challenging and complex diseases, including AD, ALS, Parkinson's disease, choroideremia (CHM), X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE), cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS), stroke, epilepsy and pain. Our innovative drug development and commercialization activities are complemented by our biosimilar business that expands access to medicines and reduce the cost burden for healthcare systems.
Through Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd. (Samsung Bioepis), our joint venture with Samsung BioLogics Co., Ltd. (Samsung BioLogics), we market and sell BENEPALI, an etanercept biosimilar referencing ENBREL, IMRALDI, an adalimumab biosimilar referencing HUMIRA, and FLIXABI, an infliximab biosimilar referencing REMICADE, in certain countries in Europe and have exclusive rights to commercialize these products in China. Additionally, we have exclusive rights to commercialize two potential ophthalmology biosimilar products, SB11 referencing LUCENTIS and SB15 referencing EYLEA, in major markets worldwide, including the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia
Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology of Biogen
We develop, manufacture and market a number of products designed to treat patients with MS. MS is a progressive neurological disease in which the body loses the ability to transmit messages along nerve cells, leading to a loss of muscle control, paralysis and, in some cases, death. Patients with active RMS experience an uneven pattern of disease progression characterized by periods of stability that are interrupted by flare-ups of the disease after which the patient returns to a new baseline of functioning.
Patient Support And Access Of Biogen
We interact with patients, advocacy organizations and healthcare societies in order to gain insights into unmet needs. The insights gained from these engagements help us support patients with services, programs and applications that are designed to help patients lead better lives. Among other things, we provide customer service and other related programs for our products, such as disease and product specific websites, insurance research services, financial assistance programs and the facilitation of the procurement of our marketed products. We are dedicated to helping patients obtain access to our therapies. Our patient representatives have access to a suite of financial assistance tools. With those tools, we help patients understand their insurance coverage and, if needed, help patients compare and select new insurance options and programs. In the U.S., we have established programs that provide co-pay assistance or free marketed product for qualified uninsured or underinsured patients, based on specific eligibility criteria. We also provide charitable contributions to independent charitable organizations that assist patients with outof-pocket expenses associated with their therapy.
Marketing And Distribution of Biogen Products
Marketing and Distribution Sales Force and Marketing We promote our products worldwide, including in the U.S., most of the major countries of the E.U. and Japan, primarily through our own sales forces and marketing groups. In some countries, particularly in areas where we continue to expand into new geographic areas, we partner with third parties. We and Eisai co-promote AVONEX, TYSABRI and TECFIDERA in Japan in certain settings. RITUXAN, RITUXAN HYCELA, GAZYVA and OCREVUS are marketed by the Roche Group and its sublicensees. We commercialize BENEPALI, IMRALDI and FLIXABI in collaboration with Samsung Bioepis in certain countries in Europe. We focus our sales and marketing efforts on specialist physicians in private practice or at major medical centers. We use customary industry practices to market our products and to educate physicians, such as sales representatives calling on individual physicians, advertisements, professional symposia, direct mail, public relations and other methods. Distribution Arrangements
We distribute our products in the U.S. principally through wholesale distributors of pharmaceutical products, mail order specialty distributors or shipping service providers. In other countries, the distribution of our products varies from country to country, including through wholesale distributors of pharmaceutical products and third-party distribution partners who are responsible for most marketing and distribution activities. Eisai distributes AVONEX, TYSABRI, TECFIDERA and PLEGRIDY in India and other Asia-Pacific markets, excluding China. RITUXAN, RITUXAN HYCELA, GAZYVA and OCREVUS are distributed by the Roche Group and its sublicensees. We distribute BENEPALI, IMRALDI and FLIXABI in certain countries in Europe and have exclusive rights to distribute these products in China. Our product sales to two wholesale distributors, AmerisourceBergen and McKesson, each accounted for more than 10% of our total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, and on a combined basis, accounted for approximately 47%, 50% and 56% of our gross product revenues for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. For additional information, please read Note 4, Revenues, to our consolidated financial statements included in this report.
We distribute our products in the U.S. principally through wholesale distributors of pharmaceutical products, mail order specialty distributors or shipping service providers. In other countries, the distribution of our products varies from country to country, including through wholesale distributors of pharmaceutical products and third-party distribution partners who are responsible for most marketing and distribution activities. Eisai distributes AVONEX, TYSABRI, TECFIDERA and PLEGRIDY in India and other Asia-Pacific markets, excluding China. RITUXAN, RITUXAN HYCELA, GAZYVA and OCREVUS are distributed by the Roche Group and its sublicensees. We distribute BENEPALI, IMRALDI and FLIXABI in certain countries in Europe and have exclusive rights to distribute these products in China. Our product sales to two wholesale distributors, AmerisourceBergen and McKesson, each accounted for more than 10% of our total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, and on a combined basis, accounted for approximately 47%, 50% and 56% of our gross product revenues for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. For additional information, please read Note 4, Revenues, to our consolidated financial statements included in this report.
Patents and Other Proprietary Rights
Patents are important to obtaining and protecting exclusive rights in our products and product candidates. We regularly seek patent protection in the U.S. and in selected countries outside the U.S. for inventions originating from our research and development efforts. In addition, we license rights to various patents and patent applications. U.S. patents, as well as most foreign patents, are generally effective for 20 years from the date the earliest application was filed; however, U.S. patents that issue on applications filed before June 8, 1995, may be effective until 17 years from the issue date, if that is later than the 20-year date. In some cases, the patent term may be extended to recapture a portion of the term lost during regulatory review of the claimed therapeutic or, in the case of the U.S., because of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) delays in prosecuting the application. Specifically, in the U.S., under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, commonly known as the Hatch-Waxman Act, a patent that covers a drug approved by the FDA may be eligible for patent term extension (for up to 5 years, but not beyond a total of 14 years from the date of product approval) as compensation for patent term lost during the FDA regulatory review process. The duration and extension of the term of foreign patents varies, in accordance with local law. For example, supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) on some of our products have been granted in a number of European countries, compensating in part for delays in obtaining marketing approval.
Regulatory exclusivity, which may consist of regulatory data protection and market protection, also can provide meaningful protection for our products. Regulatory data protection provides to the holder of a drug or biologic marketing authorization, for a set period of time, the exclusive use of the proprietary pre-clinical and clinical data that it created at significant cost and submitted to the applicable regulatory authority to obtain approval of its product. After the applicable set period of time, third parties are then permitted to rely upon such data to file for approval of their abbreviated applications for, and to market (subject to any applicable market protection), their generic drugs and biosimilars referencing such data. Market protection provides to the holder of a drug or biologic marketing authorization the exclusive right to commercialize its product for a set period of time, thereby preventing the commercialization of another product containing the same active ingredient(s) during that period. Although the World Trade Organization's agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS) requires signatory countries to provide regulatory exclusivity to innovative pharmaceutical products, implementation and enforcement varies widely from country to country. We also rely upon other forms of unpatented confidential information to remain competitive. We protect such information principally through confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, outside scientific collaborators, scientists whose research we sponsor and other advisers. In the case of our employees, these agreements also provide, in compliance with relevant law, that inventions and other intellectual property conceived by such employees during their employment shall be our exclusive property.
Our trademarks are important to us and are generally covered by trademark applications or registrations in the USPTO and the patent or trademark offices of other countries. We also use trademarks licensed from third parties, such as the trademark FAMPYRA, which we license from Acorda. Trademark protection varies in accordance with local law, and continues in some countries as long as the trademark is used and in other countries as long as the trademark is registered. Trademark registrations generally are for fixed but renewable terms.
Our Patent Portfolio
The following table describes our patents in the U.S. and Europe that we currently consider of primary importance to our marketed products, including the territory, patent number, general subject matter and expected expiration dates. Except as otherwise noted, the expected expiration dates include any granted patent term extensions and issued SPCs. In some instances, there are later-expiring patents relating to our products directed to, among other things, particular forms or compositions, methods of manufacturing or use of the drug in the treatment of particular diseases or conditions. We also continue to pursue additional patents and patent term extensions in the U.S. and other territories
Regulatory exclusivity, which may consist of regulatory data protection and market protection, also can provide meaningful protection for our products. Regulatory data protection provides to the holder of a drug or biologic marketing authorization, for a set period of time, the exclusive use of the proprietary pre-clinical and clinical data that it created at significant cost and submitted to the applicable regulatory authority to obtain approval of its product. After the applicable set period of time, third parties are then permitted to rely upon such data to file for approval of their abbreviated applications for, and to market (subject to any applicable market protection), their generic drugs and biosimilars referencing such data. Market protection provides to the holder of a drug or biologic marketing authorization the exclusive right to commercialize its product for a set period of time, thereby preventing the commercialization of another product containing the same active ingredient(s) during that period. Although the World Trade Organization's agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS) requires signatory countries to provide regulatory exclusivity to innovative pharmaceutical products, implementation and enforcement varies widely from country to country. We also rely upon other forms of unpatented confidential information to remain competitive. We protect such information principally through confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, outside scientific collaborators, scientists whose research we sponsor and other advisers. In the case of our employees, these agreements also provide, in compliance with relevant law, that inventions and other intellectual property conceived by such employees during their employment shall be our exclusive property.
Our trademarks are important to us and are generally covered by trademark applications or registrations in the USPTO and the patent or trademark offices of other countries. We also use trademarks licensed from third parties, such as the trademark FAMPYRA, which we license from Acorda. Trademark protection varies in accordance with local law, and continues in some countries as long as the trademark is used and in other countries as long as the trademark is registered. Trademark registrations generally are for fixed but renewable terms.
Our Patent Portfolio
The following table describes our patents in the U.S. and Europe that we currently consider of primary importance to our marketed products, including the territory, patent number, general subject matter and expected expiration dates. Except as otherwise noted, the expected expiration dates include any granted patent term extensions and issued SPCs. In some instances, there are later-expiring patents relating to our products directed to, among other things, particular forms or compositions, methods of manufacturing or use of the drug in the treatment of particular diseases or conditions. We also continue to pursue additional patents and patent term extensions in the U.S. and other territories
Competition Of Biogen
Competition in the biopharmaceutical industry is intense and comes from many sources, including biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Many of our competitors, certain of whom have substantially greater financial, marketing, research and development and other resources than we do, are working to develop or have commercialized products similar to or competitive with those we market or are developing and have considerable experience in undertaking clinical trials and in obtaining regulatory approval to market pharmaceutical products. In addition, the commercialization of certain of our own approved products, products of our collaborators and pipeline product candidates may negatively impact future sales of our existing products. We believe that competition and leadership in the industry is based on managerial and technological excellence and innovation as well as establishing patent and other proprietary positions through research and development. The achievement of a leadership position also depends largely upon our ability to maximize the approval, acceptance and use of products resulting from research and the availability of adequate financial resources to fund facilities, equipment, personnel, clinical testing, manufacturing and marketing. Another key aspect of remaining competitive within the industry is recruiting and retaining leading scientists and technicians. We believe that we have been successful in attracting and retaining skilled and experienced scientific personnel.
Competition among products approved for sale may be based, among other things, on patent position, product efficacy, safety, convenience/delivery devices, reliability, availability and price. In addition, early entry of a new pharmaceutical product into the market may have important advantages in gaining product acceptance and market share. Accordingly, the relative speed with which we can develop products, complete the testing and approval process and supply commercial quantities of products will have a significant impact on our competitive position. The introduction of new products or technologies, including the development of new processes or technologies by competitors or new information about existing products or technologies, results in increased competition for our marketed products and pricing pressure on our marketed products. The development of new or improved treatment options or standards of care or cures for the diseases our products treat reduces and could eliminate the use of our products or may limit the utility and application of ongoing clinical trials for our product candidates. We also face increased competitive pressures from the introduction of generic versions, prodrugs and biosimilars of existing products as well as products approved under abbreviated regulatory pathways. Such products are likely to be sold at substantially lower prices than branded products, which may significantly reduce both the price that we are able to charge for our products and the volume of products we sell. In addition, when a generic version of one of our products is commercialized, it may, in some cases, be automatically substituted for our product and reduce our revenues in a short period of time.
Competition among products approved for sale may be based, among other things, on patent position, product efficacy, safety, convenience/delivery devices, reliability, availability and price. In addition, early entry of a new pharmaceutical product into the market may have important advantages in gaining product acceptance and market share. Accordingly, the relative speed with which we can develop products, complete the testing and approval process and supply commercial quantities of products will have a significant impact on our competitive position. The introduction of new products or technologies, including the development of new processes or technologies by competitors or new information about existing products or technologies, results in increased competition for our marketed products and pricing pressure on our marketed products. The development of new or improved treatment options or standards of care or cures for the diseases our products treat reduces and could eliminate the use of our products or may limit the utility and application of ongoing clinical trials for our product candidates. We also face increased competitive pressures from the introduction of generic versions, prodrugs and biosimilars of existing products as well as products approved under abbreviated regulatory pathways. Such products are likely to be sold at substantially lower prices than branded products, which may significantly reduce both the price that we are able to charge for our products and the volume of products we sell. In addition, when a generic version of one of our products is commercialized, it may, in some cases, be automatically substituted for our product and reduce our revenues in a short period of time.
Employees Of Biogen
As of December 31, 2019, we had approximately 7,400 employees worldwide
Biogen (BIIB) stock price chart over the last 5 years
The image below shows the stock price history of Biogen (BIIB) over the last 5 years. And its been a pretty average time for the stock of Biogen. Over the last 5 years the stock of Biogen increased by just 7.4%.
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