IP Profile of Biggest for-profit companies in BGP/BGP Company Profiles

From Commons Based Research
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Introduction

Abraxis BioScience

  • Headquarters in Los Angeles
  • 383 employees (LinkedIn "Abraxis BioSciences")
  • nab technology platform (Abraxis BioSciences, "About Us")
  • Abraxan - treats metastatic breast cancer (Abraxis BioSciences, "About Us")
  • Protosphere - patented nanoparticle technology
  • Focus on cancer and heart treatments
  • 2007 splits into two separate companies - Abraxis BioScience and Abraxis Pharmaceutical Products (Abraxis BioSciences, "Abraxis BioScience Announces Plan to Separate Into Two Independent Public Companies")
  • 2009, 4th quarter loss despite high sales
  • 2009, spins off new company focusing on Biomarkers and Personalized medicine (Business Wire, "Abraxis BioScience Announces Plan")
  • Others/Notes:
    • List of publications (Abraxis BioSciences, "Publications")
    • Partnership with UCLA's nanosystem's institute (Marcus, "UCLA’s California NanoSystems Institute Partners With Abraxis BioScience")
    • Collaboration with National Comprehensive Cancer Network and AstraZeneca to conduct anti-cancer drug studies (National Comprehensive Cancer Network, "NCCN, Abraxis BioScience and AstraZeneca Announce Collaboration")

Amgen

  • Headquarters: Thousand Oaks, CA
  • 16,900 employees (2008 Corporate report)
  • History of acquisition:
    • 1994 - Synergen, Inc.
    • 2000 - Kinetix Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
    • 2002 - Immunex Corporation
    • 2004 - Tularik, Inc.
    • 2006 - Abgenix, Inc.
    • 2006 - Avidia, Inc.
    • 2007 - Ilypsa, Inc.
    • 2007 - Alantos Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc.
  • Subsidiaries:
    • Amgen Australia Pty Ltd.;
    • Amgen N.V.; Amgen Canada Inc.;
    • Amgen Greater China Ltd.;
    • Amgen GmbH (Germany);
    • Amgen S.A. (France);
    • Amgen S.p.A. (Italy);
    • Amgen K.K. (Japan);
    • Amgen B.V. (Netherlands);
    • Amgen-Biofarmaceutica (Portugal);
    • Amgen S.A. (Spain);
    • Amgen (Europe) AG (Switzerland);
    • Kirin-Amgen, Inc. (Switzerland);
    • Amgen Limited (U.K.);
    • Amgen Sales Corporation (West Indies).
  • Unlike many biotech companies, has been consistently profitable. Net profit in 2006 was US$2.9 Billion
  • History: **Managed to turn itself from a drug research company into a pharmaceutical company while maintaining steady sales - extremely rare in the industry.
    • Founded in 1980. By 1986 was starting to turn a profit, but did so not through drug development but through research partnerships with established pharma firms
    • 1987, develop erythropoietin (EPO), which stimulates red blood cell creation. Sold the marketing rights to Johnson&Johnson
    • Epogen proves to hugely popular - over $250m in sales in 1991 alone
    • Between 1992 and 1996, Amgen's R&D budget goes from $182 million to $663 million
  • It has ten approved drugs for 15 conditions, 23 agents are being tested earlier in the approval pipeline as of 2009
    • drugs include: Epogen, Aranesp, Enbrel, Kineret, Neulasta, Neupogen, Sensipar / Mimpara and Nplate
  • As a side-result of this research, also publishes in academic journals
  • Others/Notes:
    • Amgen - marketing and R&D collaborations with (Powell pp. 72): ARRIS, Envirogen, Glycomex, Guilford, Interneuron, Regeneron, and Zynaxis. these companies develop the product that Amgen later produces and markets. Perhaps there are instances of commons-like sharing here. Further investigation needed
    • Seems to be engaging in some instances of open-ended research with universities. e.g., collaboration with MIT's Whitehead institute
    • Further instances of academic collaboration here
    • The results of some scientific collaborations are being released into the commons
  • It says its committed to sharing clinical testing results as soon as possible

Biogen Idec

  • Headquarters: Kendall Scquare, Cambridge
  • from Wikipedia: commercial affiliates in "Germany, France, Spain/Portugal, UK/Ireland, the Benelux, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Austria"
  • Research centers in San Diego and Research Triangle Park, N.C.
  • Treatments for Multiple Sclerosis, Crohn's disease, and a treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma which is co-marketed with Genentech
  • Most revenue derived from Avonex, it's MS treatment
  • 2003, Biogen and IDEC merge
  • Others/Notes:


Celgene

  • Headquarters: Summit, New Jersey
  • ~1,300 employees (circa 2007)
  • Thalomid, treats erythema nodosum leprosum ("ENL")
  • Revlimid, for multiple myeloma
  • Receives royalties from Novartis for production of Ritalin
  • Also offers service: LifeBankUSA, a placental and cord bank holding (Celgene, "Products and Services")
  • 1986, spun off from Celanese Corporation
  • 1998, receives approval for Thalomid
  • 2000, reaches licensing agreement with Novartis for producing Ritalin
  • 2002, acquires Anthrogenesis Corporation
  • 2005, approval for Revlimid (Celgene, "History")
  • 2009, Celgene stocks are in decline (Seeking Alpha, "Celgene Breaking New Lows, But Hopefully Not Much Lower")
  • 2009, reporting lower sales, apparently because of overall economic decline
  • Others/Notes:
    • Collaboration with Cornell Medical School (Weill Cornell Medical College, "Celgene Corporation and Weill Cornell Initiate Research Program")
    • Research collaboration with Pharmacopeia (All Business, "Pharmacopeia achieves research milestone")
    • Multi-year research collaboration with Galapagos (Laboratory Talk, "Celgene and Galapagos in target collaboration")
    • research collaboration with AxCell BioSciences (Access My Library "AxCell Biosciences establishes research collaboration with Celgene Corp.")

Cephalon

  • Headquarters: Frazer, PA
  • 3,000 employees
  • Leading product - Provigil, to treat sleep disorder
  • Focus on Neurodegenerative diseases
  • has acquired the following firms: CIMA Labs, Anesta, and Laboratoire Lafon
  • Founded in 1987, CEO Frank Baldino, Jr., Ph.D
  • Failure of neurodegenerative treatment in 1992 - discovered that the drug kept mice awake, turned it into Provigil in 1999 (Cephalon, "Our Story")
  • 2008, sales of US$1.943 billion
  • 2008 - Treanda - treatment for non-hodgkin's lymphoma - approved and launched
  • Stock has posted double-digit earnings this year (Bennett "It's Wake-Up Time for a Drug Maker's Shares")
  • 2009 - seeks approval for Nuvigil to treat Jet Lag (Kennedy, "Cephalon To Apply For FDA Approval For Nuvigil For Jet Lag")
  • 2009 - studies suggest Nuvigil could also be used to treat Bipolar Depression (Medical News Today, "Cephalon Announces Positive Results From A Phase Two Study Of NUVIGIL In Bipolar Depression")
  • 2009 - (unsubstantiated) gossip that Eli Lilly might consider purchasing Cephalon (Feuerstein, "What's on Lilly's Prescription Pad?") Further rumors of take-over: (Steven, "2 Potential Pharma M&A Targets: Cephalon and Genzyme")
  • 2009 - bid to take over Australian biotech firm. Interest in its treatments for inflammatory diseases and cancer (Domain-B, "Cephalon opens bid for Aussie bio-technology firm Arana")
  • Others/Notes:
    • Interesting: Three areas for establishing collaborative studies (Cephalon, "Research Partnerships"):
      • Pre-clinical studies - has simple online form for obtaining Cephalon products for pre-clinical studies. Response within a month.
      • Cephalon-sponsored studies - can apply to work as an investigator in a Cephalon study
      • Investigator Sponsored Studies (ISS) - investigator herself designs the trial, gets the regulatory approval, interprets and communicates the results. It appears that you just submit a proposal, and if approved, Cephalon will fund the study (Cephalon, "Going Further in Research")
    • Foster business collaborations(Cephalon, "Business Collaboration")
    • Negative test results are being used to further general research on Parkinson's disease (Cephalon, "Our Science")
    • Corporate giving for health advocacy, science education, and community building in locations where Cephalon has offices (Cephalon, "Corporate Giving")
    • 2006 - collaboration with Ambit Biosciences to research kinase inhibitors (B-Net, "Ambit Biosciences Announces Discovery and Development Collaboration with Cephalon, Inc. Focused on Kinase Inhibitors")
    • Alzheimer's disease research collaboration with Scherring-Plough
    • Collaboration with Abbott Laboratories to produce and develop Gabitril, an anti-epilepsy drug (PR Newswire, "Abbott Laboratories and Cephalon Sign Collaboration Agreement for Gabitril(R) (Tiagabine Hydrochloride) in the United States")

Celera

Genentech

Genzyme

Gilead Sciences

  • Headquarters: Foster City, California
  • 3,400 hundred employees as of 2009
  • Growth based in large part on acquisition of other companies
  • Products for HIV/AIDS, respiratory and heart conditions, and liver disease
  • Over a dozen drugs in the development pipeline, Phase I or later
  • Acquisition history:
    • 1990 reaches agreement with Glaxo to research and develop "antisense" -- genetic code blockers
    • Goes public in 1992
    • 1996 - first commercial product, Vistide, treats cytomegalovirus
    • 1999 - acquires NeXstar Pharmaceuticals
    • 2003 acquires Triangle Pharmaceuticals
    • 2006, FDA approves Atripla for HIV-victims
    • 2006 acquires Corus Pharma, Inc.
    • 2006 acquires Myogen, Inc.
    • 2006 acquires Raylo Chemicals, a pharma producer - is Gilead Sciences trying to become a pharma company?
  • Other/Notes:
  • Foundation for bringing health care to under-served communities

ImClone Systems

Who

  • 1,100 employees (circa 2007) (Hoovers, "Imclone Systems Incorporated")

What

  • focus on oncology
  • Erbitux for colorectal cancer (FDA, "Erbitux")

Where

  • Headquartered in New york City

News

  • founded 1984 (Imclone Systems, "Company Overview")
  • 1990's, shift in focus from infectious diseases to oncology
  • 2001, monoclonal antibody Erbitux fails to get FDA approval. Stocks fell sharply - resulted in insider trading controversy
  • 2003, following insider trading crises, general reluctance to invest in the company
  • 2006, Carl Icahn acquires majority of the stock, unseats most of board
  • 2008, acquired by Eli Lilly
  • 2009 ImClone purchase brings down Eli Lilly earnings

Commons-Based, Peer-Production, and Open Access News

  • Grants for community development (ImClone Systems, "Imclone Grant Office")
  • Collaboration with Merck to produce therapeutic cancer vaccines

MedImmune

Who

  • ~3,000 employees (MedImmune, "Company Overview")
  • Wholly-owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca, a Swedish Pharma company

What

  • Produces Synagis, which treats respiratory infections in infants
  • Also produces FluMist, a nasal spray influenza vaccine
  • Proprietary drug-development methods: Phage Display and Ribosome Display (MedImmune, "Drug Development")

Where

  • Gaithersburg, Maryland

News

  • 2007, Astra Zeneca acquires MedImmune (Pollack, Andrew, "Five Days; Biotech Deal")
  • 2007, Federal advisory panel endorses Flu Vaccine spray (Associated Press, "Panel Endorses Flu Vaccine In a Spray for Young Children")
  • 2008, rapid expansion of the company (Murret, Patricia, "Big Gaithersburg biotech gets a boost")

Commons-Based, Peer-Production, and Open Access News=

  • Sponsors research abstract competition (MedImmune, "MedImmune Announces Winners of Third Annual Research Abstract Competition")
  • Establishes research fellowships for pediatric health (MedImmune, "MedImmune Grants Five New Fellowships to Help Expand Premature Infant Follow-Up Care Research")
  • Owns MedImmune Ventures, a VC firm to encourage research and investment in the field (MedImmune, " MedImmune Broadens Focus of Venture Capital Fund to Include New Therapeutic Areas")
  • Has research collaborations with the following organizations: Burnham Institute, Medarex, Inc., National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Micromet AG, Seattle Genetics, Inc., VasGene Therapeutics, Inc., and Xencor, Inc. (MedImmune, "R&D Collaborations")
    • Collaboration with Medarex, Inc. to develop drugs for treating autoimmune diseases
    • jointly developing treatment for B cell Tumors with Micromet AG
    • agreement with Seattle Genetics, Inc. to use it antibody-drug conjugate treatment
  • Developing treatment for cervical cancer with GlaxoSmith-Kline (MedImmune, "Strategic Alliances")

Navigation

IP Profile of Biggest for-profit companies in BGP
Biotechnology - Genomic and Proteomics
Main Page

Retrieved from "http://cyber.harvard.edu/commonsbasedresearch/?title=IP_Profile_of_Biggest_for-profit_companies_in_BGP/BGP_Company_Profiles&oldid=6893"