Products
Biogen Idec's products include multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments Avonex (interferon beta-1a) and Tysabri (natalizumab); the latter is also approved for treatment of Crohn's disease, and is co-marketed with Élan. Biogen Idec also makes Rituxan (rituximab), a treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma which is also approved for rheumatoid arthritis; Rituxan is co-marketed with Genentech. The company acquired Fumaderm (fumaric acid esters), a psoriasis treatment (licensed in Germany) when it acquired Fumapharm AG in 2006. In December, 2007, Biogen Idec sold the U.S. rights for Zevalin (ibritumomab tiuxetan), another treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, to Cell Therapeutics, but continues to produce it for European marketing partner Bayer Schering Pharma. In 2006, the company sold rights for Amevive (alefacept), another psoriasis treatment, to Astellas Pharma, continuing to manufacture the drug under contract.
The company's experimental drug BG-12 (dimethyl fumarate) is in late stage clinical trials. BG-12 is designed to treat relapsing-remitting MS. When given twice daily, BG-12 cut the relapse rate by 44 percent at two years compared with a placebo. When given three times a day, it cut the relapse rate by 51 percent. If approved BG-12 could become the world's leading treatment for MS.
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