Amgen, Biogen Idec and Genentech represent three pioneering biopharmaceutical companies that remain and grow in business.
Founded in the 1980s as AMGen (Applied Molecular Genetics), Amgen now employs over 9000 people worldwide, making it one of the largest dedicated biotechnology companies in existence. Its headquarters are situated in Thousand Oaks, California, although it has research, manufacturing, distribution and sales facilities worldwide. Company activities focus upon developing novel (mainly protein) therapeutics for application in oncology, inflammation, bone disease, neurology, metabolism and nephrology. By mid-2002, six of its recombinant products had been approved for general medical use (the erythropoietin-based products, ‘Aranesp’ and ‘Epogen’, the colony stimulating factor-based products, ‘Neupogen’ and ‘Neulasta’ as well as the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, ‘Kineret’ and the anti-rheumatoid arthritis fusion protein, Enbrel). Total product sales for 2001 reached US$ 3.5 billion and the company reinvested 25% of this in R&D. In July 2002, Amgen acquired Immunex Corporation, another dedicated biopharmaceutical company founded in Seattle in the early 1980s.
Biogen was founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1978 by a group of leading molecular biologists. Currently, its international headquarters are located in Paris and it employs in excess of 2000 people worldwide. The company developed and directly markets the interferon-based product, ‘Avonex’, but also generates revenues from sales of other Biogen-discovered products which are licensed to various other pharmaceutical companies. These include Schering-Plough’s ‘Intron A’ as well as a number of hepatitis B-based vaccines sold by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Merck. By 2001, worldwide sales of Biogen-discovered products had reached US$ 3 billion. Biogen reinvests ca. 33% of its revenues back into R&D and has ongoing collaborations with several other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
Genentech was founded in 1976 by scientist Herbert Boyer and the venture capitalist, Robert Swanson. Headquartered in San Francisco, it employs almost 5000 staff worldwide and has 10 protein-based products on the market. These include human growth hormones (‘Nutropin’), the antibody-based products ‘Herceptin’ and ‘Rituxan’ and the thrombolytic agents ‘Activase’ and ‘TNKase’. The company also has 20 or so products in clinical trials. In 2001, it generated some US$ 2.2 billion in revenues, 24% of which it reinvested in R&D.
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