Alexion Pharmaceuticals

Last updated
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Company type Subsidiary
Nasdaq: ALXN
Industry Pharmaceutical industry
Founded1992;33 years ago (1992)
FounderLeonard Bell
Headquarters Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Key people
Leonard Bell (chairman)
Ludwig N. Hantson (CEO)
Products Eculizumab (Soliris)
Ravulizumab (Ultomiris)
Asfotase alfa (Strensiq)
Sebelipase alfa (Kanuma)
Andexanet alfa (Andexxa)
RevenueIncrease2.svg US$6.069 billion (2020)
Decrease2.svg US$603 million (2020)
Total assets Increase2.svg US$18.103 billion (2020)
Total equity Increase2.svg US$11.651 billion (2020)
Number of employees
2,525 (2020)
Parent AstraZeneca
Website www.alexion.com
Footnotes /references
[1]

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a subsidiary of AstraZeneca, is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts that specializes in orphan drugs to treat rare diseases.

Contents

Its products include eculizumab (Soliris) and ravulizumab (Ultomiris), both used to treat the rare disorders of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH); asfotase alfa (Strensiq), used to treat hypophosphatasia; sebelipase alfa (Kanuma), used to treat lysosomal acid lipase deficiency, and andexanet alfa (Andexxa), used to stop life threatening or uncontrollable bleeding in people who are taking rivaroxaban or apixaban. [1]

With costs that can reach as much as $2 million per year, the drugs manufactured by Alexion are some of the most expensive drugs worldwide. [2]

History

Alexion Pharmaceuticals was founded in 1992 at Science Park in New Haven, Connecticut by Steven Squinto and Leonard Bell, a physician at Yale New Haven Hospital and assistant professor of medicine and pathology at Yale School of Medicine. [3] [4]

In 2000, Alexion moved its headquarters from New Haven to Cheshire, Connecticut. [5] [6]

Alexion received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Soliris in 2007. It was initially approved to treat paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, a rare blood disorder. [7]

In June 2010, there was an outbreak of hemolytic–uremic syndrome caused by shigatoxigenic and verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (EHEC) in Germany. Soliris was tested as a treatment option because of its effectiveness in treating atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, an illness similar to that caused by the EHEC infection. [8]

In January 2014, the company paid Moderna $100 million for ten product options to develop rare disease treatments, including for Crigler–Najjar syndrome, using Moderna's mRNA therapeutics platform; [9] however, the program was scrapped in January 2017 after animal trials showed that Moderna's treatment would never be safe enough for humans. [10] [11]

In April 2015, Bell was replaced as CEO by David Hallal. [12] [13]

In October 2015, Alexion's second drug, Strensiq (asfotase alfa), was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It is used to treat hypophosphatasia, a rare metabolic disorder. [14]

In 2016, the company became a member of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). [15] [16]

Alexion moved its headquarters back to New Haven following the completion of New Haven's Downtown Crossing project in February 2016. [17]

In December 2016, David Brennan became interim CEO. David Anderson, formerly the CFO of Honeywell, was appointed CFO, replacing Vikas Sinha. [18] [19]

In March 2017, Alexion named Ludwig N. Hantson as its CEO. [20]

In September 2017, Alexion announced it would cut its workforce by 20% and move its headquarters to Boston, Massachusetts in mid-2018. [4] [21] It also announced the closure of its manufacturing facility in Smithfield, Rhode Island. [22] [23]

In July 2020, the company agreed to pay more than $21 million to settle claims that it bribed government officials in Turkey and Russia to gain approval for its drugs. [24] [25]

In July 2021, AstraZeneca acquired the company. [26] [27]

Acquisitions

In September 2000, Alexion acquired Proliferon, a development-stage biopharmaceutical firm, for $41 million in stock. The company was renamed Alexion Antibody Technologies. [28]

In December 2011, Alexion acquired Montreal-based Enobia Pharma, the developer of asfotase alfa, a drug used to treat the genetic disorder hypophosphatasia, for as much as $1.08 billion. [29]

In June 2015, Alexion acquired Synageva, a maker of rare disease treatments, in an $8.4 billion stock-and-cash deal. [12] [30] [31] [13] [32] [33]

In April 2018, Alexion announced the acquisition of Wilson Therapeutics for $855 million. [34] [35]

In November 2018, the company acquired Syntimmune for $1.2 billion, expanding its rare disease offerings. [36] [37] [38]

In January 2020, the company acquired Achillion Pharmaceuticals for $930 million, boosting its immune system disease pipeline. [39] [40] [41]

In July 2020, Alexion acquired Portola Pharmaceuticals, diversifying its hematology, neurology, and critical care commercial portfolio with Portola's Factor Xa inhibitor reversal agent. [42] [43]

Acquisition history

The following is an illustration of the company's mergers, acquisitions, corporate spin-offs and historical predecessors:

Alexion Pharmaceuticals
(Founded 1992)

Proliferon Inc
(Acq 2000, restructured into Alexion Antibody Technologies Inc)

Enobia Pharma Corp
(Acq 2011)

Synageva
(Acq 2015)

Syntimmune
(Acq 2018)

Achillion Pharmaceuticals
(Acq 2019)

Alexion Pharmaceuticals

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pfizer</span> American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation

Pfizer Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered at The Spiral in Manhattan, New York City. The company was established in 1849, in New York by two German entrepreneurs, Charles Pfizer (1824–1906) and his cousin Charles F. Erhart (1821–1891).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Takeda Pharmaceutical Company</span> Japanese pharmaceutical company

The Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited is a Japanese multinational pharmaceutical company. It is the third largest pharmaceutical company in Asia, behind Sinopharm and Shanghai Pharmaceuticals, and one of the top 20 largest pharmaceutical companies in the world by revenue. The company has over 49,578 employees worldwide and achieved US$19.299 billion in revenue during the 2018 fiscal year. The company is focused on oncology, rare diseases, neuroscience, gastroenterology, plasma-derived therapies and vaccines. Its headquarters is located in Chuo-ku, Osaka, and it has an office in Nihonbashi, Chuo, Tokyo. In January 2012, Fortune Magazine ranked the Takeda Oncology Company as one of the 100 best companies to work for in the United States. As of 2015, Christophe Weber was appointed as the CEO and president of Takeda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AstraZeneca</span> British-Swedish pharmaceutical company

AstraZeneca plc (AZ) is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with its headquarters at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It has a portfolio of products for major diseases in areas including oncology, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, infection, neuroscience, respiratory, and inflammation.

Sanofi S.A. is a French multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in Paris, France. The corporation was established in 1973 and merged with Synthélabo in 1999 to form Sanofi-Synthélabo. In 2004, Sanofi-Synthélabo merged with Aventis and renamed to Sanofi-Aventis, which were each the product of several previous mergers. It changed its name back to Sanofi in May 2011. The company is a component of the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index. In 2023, the company’s seat in Forbes Global 2000 was 89.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amgen</span> American multinational biopharmaceutical company

Amgen Inc. is an American multinational biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. As one of the world's largest independent biotechnology companies, Amgen has approximately 24,000 staff in total as of 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilead Sciences</span> American pharmaceutical company

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is an American biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Foster City, California, that focuses on researching and developing antiviral drugs used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, influenza, and COVID-19, including ledipasvir/sofosbuvir and sofosbuvir. Gilead is a member of the Nasdaq-100 and the S&P 100.

Bausch Health Companies Inc. is an American-Canadian multinational specialty pharmaceutical company based in Laval, Quebec, Canada. It develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products and branded generic drugs, primarily for skin diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, eye health and neurology. Bausch Health owns Bausch & Lomb, a supplier of eye health products. Bausch Health's business model is primarily focused on acquiring small pharmaceutical companies and then sharply increasing the prices of the drugs these companies sell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celgene</span> American biopharmaceutical company

Celgene Corporation is a pharmaceutical company that makes cancer and immunology drugs. Its major product is Revlimid (lenalidomide), which is used in the treatment of multiple myeloma, and also in certain anemias. The company is incorporated in Delaware, headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, and a subsidiary of Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS).

Eculizumab, sold under the brand name Soliris among others, is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody used to treat paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, generalized myasthenia gravis, and neuromyelitis optica. In people with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, it reduces both the destruction of red blood cells and need for blood transfusion, but does not appear to affect the risk of death. Eculizumab was the first medication approved for each of its uses, and its approval was granted based on small trials. It is given by intravenous infusion. It is a humanized monoclonal antibody functioning as a terminal complement inhibitor. It binds to the complement C5 protein and inhibits activation of the complement system, a part of the body's immune system. This binding prevents the breakdown of red blood cells in the bloodstream in people with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amylin Pharmaceuticals</span> Biopharmaceutical company

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical founded in 1987 that was based in San Diego, California. The company was engaged in the discovery, development, and commercialization of drug candidates for the treatment of diabetes, obesity, and other diseases. Amylin produced three drugs: Symlin, Byetta (exenatide) and Bydureon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merck & Co.</span> American multinational pharmaceutical company

Merck & Co., Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, and is named for Merck Group, founded in Germany in 1668, of which it was once the American arm. The company does business as Merck Sharp & Dohme or MSD outside the United States and Canada. It is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, generally ranking in the global top five by revenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AbbVie</span> American pharmaceutical company

AbbVie Inc. is an American pharmaceutical company headquartered in North Chicago, Illinois. It is ranked sixth on the list of largest biomedical companies by revenue. In 2023, the company's seat in Forbes Global 2000 was 74, and rank 89 on the 2024 list. The company's primary product is Humira (adalimumab), administered via injection. It is approved to treat autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, plaque psoriasis, and ulcerative colitis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moderna</span> American biotechnology company

Moderna, Inc. is an American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that focuses on RNA therapeutics, primarily mRNA vaccines. These vaccines use a copy of a molecule called messenger RNA (mRNA) to carry instructions for proteins to produce an immune response. The company's name is derived from the terms "modified", "RNA", and "modern".

AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an American pharmaceutical company developing products that treat iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in adult patients. The company was a publicly traded company listed on NASDAQ under the symbol "AMAG" until November 2020 when it was acquired by Covis Pharma.

Horizon Therapeutics plc was a biopharmaceutical company focused on researching, developing, and commercializing medicines that address critical needs for people impacted by rare and rheumatic diseases. Horizon primarily markets products in the United States, which represented 97% of Horizon's 2019 worldwide sales. Amgen acquired the company in October 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arbutus Biopharma</span> Canadian Bio Tech Company

Arbutus Biopharma Corporation is a publicly traded Canadian biopharmaceutical company with an expertise in liposomal drug delivery and RNA interference, and is developing drugs for hepatitis B infection.

Catalent, Inc., is an American multinational company operating as an independent subsidiary of Novo Holdings A/S since 2024.It is headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey. It is a provider of drug delivery technologies, drug development, drug manufacturing, biologics, gene therapy, and consumer health products. It has over 50 facilities on 4 continents and has supported more than half the products approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the last 10 years. Annually, it produces 70 billion doses for 8,000 products. The company's major customers include Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Haleon, Novo Nordisk, Moderna, Pfizer, and Sarepta Therapeutics.

Synageva BioPharma Corp. was a publicly listed biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts dedicated to discovering, developing and delivering medicines for patients with rare diseases and high unmet medical needs. The company had manufacturing and laboratory locations in Lexington and Holden, Massachusetts, Bogart and Athens Georgia, as well as offices in a variety of locations around the world.

CSL Vifor is a global specialty pharmaceuticals company in the treatment areas of iron deficiency, dialysis, nephrology & rare disease. It is headquartered in Switzerland and consists of CSL Vifor, Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma (VFMCRP) and Sanifit Therapeutics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultragenyx</span> American biopharmaceutical company

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. is an American biopharmaceutical company involved in the research and development of novel products for treatment of rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases for which there are typically no approved treatments and high unmet medical need. The company works with multiple drug modalities including biologics, small molecule, gene therapies, and ASO and mRNAs in the disease categories of bone, endocrine, metabolic, muscle and CNS diseases.

References

  1. 1 2 "Alexion Pharmaceuticals 2020 Form 10-K Annual Report". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
  2. ↑ Thomas, Katie; Abelson, Reed (August 25, 2019). "The $6 Million Drug Claim" . The New York Times .
  3. ↑ Herper, Matthew (September 5, 2012). "How A $440,000 Drug Is Turning Alexion Into Biotech's New Innovation Powerhouse". Forbes .
  4. 1 2 SINGER, STEPHEN (September 12, 2017). "Alexion Exits New Haven For Boston, Agrees To Repay Millions In State Aid". Hartford Courant .
  5. ↑ "Alexion Pharmaceuticals Moves Global Headquarters to New Haven". NBC News . June 19, 2012.
  6. ↑ MACMILLAN, THOMAS (June 19, 2012). "Alexion Flees Cheshire For New Haven". New Haven Independent .
  7. ↑ Seiffert, Don (May 6, 2015). "Everything you need to know about the $8.4B acquisition of Synageva". American City Business Journals .
  8. ↑ Lang, Michelle (June 20, 2011). "Alexion tests treatment to respond to Germany's E. coli outbreak". American City Business Journals .
  9. ↑ Reidy, Chris (January 13, 2014). "Alexion, Moderna announce agreement to develop messenger RNA therapeutics". The Boston Globe . Archived from the original on November 16, 2020.
  10. ↑ Garade, Damien (September 13, 2016). "Ego, ambition, and turmoil: Inside one of biotech's most secretive startups". Stat . Archived from the original on November 16, 2020.
  11. ↑ Garde, Damien (January 10, 2017). "Lavishly funded Moderna hits safety problems in bold bid to revolutionize medicine". Stat . Archived from the original on November 16, 2020.
  12. 1 2 Dulaney, Chelsey (May 6, 2015). "Alexion to Buy Synageva for $8.4 Billion" . The Wall Street Journal .
  13. 1 2 Cyran, Robert (May 6, 2015). "Alexion Puts Its Soaring Stock Price to Good Use" . The New York Times .
  14. ↑ "FDA Approves Strensiq™ (asfotase alfa) for Treatment of Patients with Perinatal-, Infantile- and Juvenile-Onset Hypophosphatasia (HPP)" (Press release). Business Wire. October 23, 2015.
  15. ↑ Helfand, Carly (July 18, 2016). "Teva wins controversial PhRMA bid despite protests from branded rivals". FiercePharma .
  16. ↑ "PhRMA Welcomes Five New Member Companies" (Press release). PR Newswire. July 15, 2016.
  17. ↑ Hathaway, Bill (February 29, 2016). "Alexion homecoming is a symbol of biomedical growth in New Haven". Yale University .
  18. ↑ "Alexion's Board of Directors Announces New Leadership Appointments" (Press release). Business Wire. December 12, 2016.
  19. ↑ Rosen, Jon (December 12, 2016). "Alexion Pharmaceuticals announces new leadership appointments". WTNH .
  20. ↑ Grover, Natalie (March 27, 2017). "Alexion Pharma names former Baxalta chief Ludwig Hantson CEO". Reuters .
  21. ↑ Hufford, Austen; Rockoff, Jonathan D.; De Avila, Joseph (September 12, 2017). "Alexion to Cut Workforce by 20%, Shift Headquarters to Boston" . The Wall Street Journal .
  22. ↑ Bramson, Kate (September 12, 2017). "Drug maker Alexion to close R.I. plant". The Providence Journal .
  23. ↑ Krause, Nancy (September 12, 2017). "Alexion closing RI manufacturing facility, 250 losing jobs". WPRI-TV .
  24. ↑ Tokar, Dylan; Prang, Allison (July 2, 2020). "Alexion to Pay More Than $21 Million to Settle Bribery Claims" . The Wall Street Journal .
  25. ↑ "SEC Charges Alexion Pharmaceuticals With FCPA Violations" (Press release). U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. July 2, 2020.
  26. ↑ Higgins-Dunn, Noah (July 21, 2021). "AstraZeneca closes mega $39B Alexion buyout despite antitrust fears, making a splash in rare diseases". FiercePharma .
  27. ↑ "Acquisition of Alexion completed" (Press release). AstraZeneca. July 21, 2021.
  28. ↑ "BRIEFLY". Hartford Courant . September 27, 2000.
  29. ↑ Finn, Ryan (December 29, 2011). "Alexion to Pay as Much as $1.08 Billion to Buy Enobia Pharma" . Bloomberg News .
  30. ↑ "Alexion Completes Acquisition of Synageva" (Press release). Business Wire. June 23, 2015.
  31. ↑ Weisman, Robert (July 12, 2015). "How Genzyme became a source of biotech executives". The Boston Globe .
  32. ↑ Seiffert, Don (June 23, 2015). "Alexion buys Lexington rare drug maker Synageva for $8.4B". American City Business Journals .
  33. ↑ "Large Pharma Acquisition -- Alexion Buys Synageva for $8.4 Billion". IndustryWeek . Agence France-Presse. May 6, 2015.
  34. ↑ Hirschler, Ben (April 11, 2018). "Biotech M&A rolls on as Alexion snaps up Wilson for $855 million". Reuters .
  35. ↑ Arnott, Karen (April 11, 2018). "Alexion to Acquire Wilson Therapeutics for $855M". Mary Ann Liebert .
  36. ↑ "Alexion Completes Acquisition of Syntimmune" (Press release). Business Wire. November 2, 2018.
  37. ↑ "Alexion to Acquire Syntimmune for Up to $1.2B, Expanding Rare Disease Pipeline". Mary Ann Liebert . September 26, 2018.
  38. ↑ Joseph, Saumya Sibi; Maddipatla, Manogna (September 26, 2018). "Alexion to buy biotech firm Syntimmune for up to $1.2 billion". Reuters .
  39. ↑ "Alexion Completes Acquisition of Achillion" (Press release). Business Wire. January 28, 2020.
  40. ↑ George, John (January 29, 2020). "$930 million sale of Blue Bell biopharma firm finalized". American City Business Journals .
  41. ↑ Taylor, Nick Paul (October 16, 2019). "Alexion inks deal to acquire Achillion for $930M upfront". FierceBiotech .
  42. ↑ "Alexion Completes Acquisition of Portola" (Press release). Business Wire. July 2, 2020.
  43. ↑ DeAngelis, Allison (May 5, 2020). "Alexion pays $1.4B for Bay Area biotech in bid to double commercial portfolio". American City Business Journals .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.