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Tuesday, 12 January 2010 15:15 GMT
Biogen says Tysabri sales topped $1 billion in 2009 - files fampridine in Europe
LONDON, Jan 12 (APM) - Biogen Idec said on Tuesday sales of multiple sclerosis treatment Tysabri grew to more than $1 billion last year as the number of patients on the medication jumped by 30%.
It also said it has filed in Europe and Canada fampridine prolonged release tablets, which it describes as a novel oral therapy for the improvement of walking ability in adult patients with MS.
It added in a statement ahead of an investor update at the JP Morgan healthcare conference in San Francisco, that based on data through the TOUCH prescribing programme and other third-party sources, it estimates that about 48,800 patients were on commercial and clinical Tysabri (natalizumab) therapy worldwide at the end of December.
This includes approximately 24,500 on therapy commercially in the U.S.; approximately 23,700 on the treatment commercially in the rest of the world and about 600 clinical trial patients.
In the third quarter to the end of September 2009, sales of Tysabri rose 21% to $207 million. Biogen is due to report fourth-quarter results on Feb 3.
Outgoing CEO James Mullen said: "We will continue to focus on accelerating the growth of Tysabri, Biogen Idec's third blockbuster product; actively pursuing lifecycle management initiatives with Avonex and Rituxan; advancing our pipeline and maintaining a disciplined use of cash."
The company said that in the first half of 2010, it and its partner Biovitrum expect to begin a registrational trial for their long-acting, fully-recombinant Factor IX Fc fusion protein (rFIXFc) in haemophilia B.
It also expects to begin a Phase 1 study of anti-LINGO-1, which it said has shown promise in repairing the myelin sheath, the protective coating around nerve fibres that is damaged by MS.
Biogen announced earlier this month that Mullen is due to step down as CEO in June and it is looking for a successor.
The announcement about his forthcoming departure came less than a month after the company announced Bruce Ross, its chairman since 2005, was to step down and seven months after activist investor Carl Icahn succeeded in placing two members onto Biogen's board.
nh/ns
[17745] 12/01/2010 15:15 GMT - INDUSTRY
It also said it has filed in Europe and Canada fampridine prolonged release tablets, which it describes as a novel oral therapy for the improvement of walking ability in adult patients with MS.
It added in a statement ahead of an investor update at the JP Morgan healthcare conference in San Francisco, that based on data through the TOUCH prescribing programme and other third-party sources, it estimates that about 48,800 patients were on commercial and clinical Tysabri (natalizumab) therapy worldwide at the end of December.
This includes approximately 24,500 on therapy commercially in the U.S.; approximately 23,700 on the treatment commercially in the rest of the world and about 600 clinical trial patients.
In the third quarter to the end of September 2009, sales of Tysabri rose 21% to $207 million. Biogen is due to report fourth-quarter results on Feb 3.
Outgoing CEO James Mullen said: "We will continue to focus on accelerating the growth of Tysabri, Biogen Idec's third blockbuster product; actively pursuing lifecycle management initiatives with Avonex and Rituxan; advancing our pipeline and maintaining a disciplined use of cash."
The company said that in the first half of 2010, it and its partner Biovitrum expect to begin a registrational trial for their long-acting, fully-recombinant Factor IX Fc fusion protein (rFIXFc) in haemophilia B.
It also expects to begin a Phase 1 study of anti-LINGO-1, which it said has shown promise in repairing the myelin sheath, the protective coating around nerve fibres that is damaged by MS.
Biogen announced earlier this month that Mullen is due to step down as CEO in June and it is looking for a successor.
The announcement about his forthcoming departure came less than a month after the company announced Bruce Ross, its chairman since 2005, was to step down and seven months after activist investor Carl Icahn succeeded in placing two members onto Biogen's board.
nh/ns
[17745] 12/01/2010 15:15 GMT - INDUSTRY
