Businessweek

Biogen Idec Inc., a biotechnology company, focuses on discovering, developing, manufacturing, and marketing therapies for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and hemophilia. Marketed Products AVONEX (interferon beta-1a) The company offers AVONEX for the treatment of patients with relapsing forms of MS to slow the accumulation of physical disability and decrease the frequency of clinical exacerbations. 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. AVONEX is a recombinant form of the interferon beta protein produced in the body in response to viral infection. In February 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two separate dosing innovations designed to improve the treatment experience for patients receiving once-a-week AVONEX for relapsing forms of MS, including AVONEX PEN and a new dose titration regimen. AVONEX PEN is the first intramuscular autoinjector approved for MS and is designed to improve the self-injection process for patients receiving AVONEX therapy. A new dose titration regimen, facilitated by the AVOSTARTGRIP titration devices, provides patients with the option to gradually increase the dose of AVONEX at treatment initiation to reduce the incidence and severity of flu-like symptoms that patients might experience with therapy. These AVONEX dosing innovations are commercially available in the E.U., the U.S., and other countries. The principal markets for AVONEX are the U.S., Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. In the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Japan, and various countries of the E.U., the company markets and sells AVONEX through its own sales forces and marketing groups, and distributes AVONEX principally through wholesale distributors of pharmaceutical products, mail order specialty distributors, or shipping service providers. In other countries, it sells AVONEX to distribution partners who are then responsible for various marketing and distribution activities. TYSABRI (natalizumab) TYSABRI is a monoclonal antibody approved in various countries as a monotherapy for relapsing MS and is also approved in the U.S. to treat Crohn's disease, an inflammatory disease of the intestines. The company collaborates with Elan Pharma International, Ltd (Elan) on the development and commercialization of TYSABRI. In January 2012, the FDA approved the inclusion in the U.S. product label for TYSABRI of anti-JCV antibody status as an additional factor in stratifying patients for developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. The principal markets for TYSABRI are the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. In the U.S., the company is principally responsible for marketing TYSABRI for MS and uses its own sales force and marketing group for this. Elan is responsible for TYSABRI distribution in the U.S. and uses a third party distributor to ship TYSABRI directly to customers. In the rest of world, it is responsible for TYSABRI marketing and distribution, and the company uses a combination of its own sales force and marketing group and third party service providers. RITUXAN RITUXAN is a prescribed monoclonal antibody used to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and two forms of ANCA-associated vasculitis. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia are cancers that affect lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cell that help to fight infection. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's joints, resulting in inflammation, pain and joint damage. ANCA-associated vasculitis is a rare autoimmune disease that affects the small blood vessels of the kidneys, lungs, sinuses, and various other organs. The company collaborates with Genentech, Inc. (Genentech), a wholly-owned member of the Roche Group (Roche), on the development and commercialization of RITUXAN. RITUXAN is sold to wholesalers, specialty distrib