UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

 

 

Commission file number: 0-19311

Biogen Idec Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

(617) 679-2000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes þ     No o

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act.  Yes o     No þ

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes þ     No o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files):  Yes þ     No o

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  þ

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  Yes o     No þ

 

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant (without admitting that any person whose shares are not included in such calculation is an affiliate) computed by reference to the price at which the common stock was last sold as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter was $13,005,469,098.

 

As of February 5, 2010, the registrant had 269,601,262 shares of common stock, $0.0005 par value, outstanding.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

Portions of the definitive proxy statement for our 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report.

 

 

BIOGEN IDEC INC.

 

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

 

For the Year Ended December 31, 2009

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

In addition to historical information, this report contains forward-looking statements that are based on our current beliefs and expectations. These forward-looking statements do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and they may be accompanied by such words as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “target,” “will” and other words and terms of similar meaning. Reference is made in particular to forward-looking statements regarding:

 

 

These forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from our expectations and could negatively impact our financial position and results of operations are discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of this report and elsewhere in this report.

 

Forward-looking statements, like all statements in this report, speak only as of the date of this report, unless another date is indicated. Unless required by law, we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

 

NOTE REGARDING COMPANY AND PRODUCT REFERENCES

 

Throughout this report, “Biogen Idec,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Biogen Idec Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, “RITUXAN” refers to both RITUXAN (the trade name for rituximab in the U.S., Canada and Japan) and MabThera (the trade name for rituximab outside the U.S., Canada and Japan), and “ANGIOMAX” refers to both ANGIOMAX (the trade name for bivalirudin in the U.S., Canada and Latin America) and ANGIOX (the trade name for bivalirudin in Europe).

NOTE REGARDING TRADEMARKS

 

AVONEX^®, RITUXAN^® and ADENTRI^® are registered trademarks, and FUMADERM^tm is a trademark of Biogen Idec Inc. or its subsidiaries. TYSABRI^® and TOUCH^® are registered trademarks of Elan Pharmaceuticals, Inc.;. The following are trademarks of the respective companies listed:
ACTEMRA^® — Chugai Seiyaku Kabushiki Kaisha; AMPYRA^TM — Acorda Therapeutics, Inc.; ANGIOMAX^® and ANGIOX^® — The Medicines Company; ARZERRA^TM — Glaxo Group Limited; BETASERON^® and BETAFERON^® — Bayer Schering Pharma AG; CAMPATH^® — Genzyme Corporation; CIMZIA^® — UCB Pharma, S.A.; COPAXONE^® — Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited; ENBREL^® — Immunex Corporation; EXTAVIA^® — Novartis AG; HUMIRA^® — Abbott Biotechnology Ltd.; ONCOVIN^TM — Eli Lilly and Company; ORENCIA^® — Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; REBIF^® — Ares Trading S.A.; REMICADE^® — Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc.; SIMPONI^TM — Johnson & Johnson; and TREANDA^® — Cephalon, Inc.

 

NOTE REGARDING REFERENCES TO THE CODIFICATION

 

In June 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), issued the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (Codification). Effective July 1, 2009, the Codification became the single source for all authoritative generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), recognized by the FASB and is required to be applied to financial statements issued for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. The Codification does not change GAAP and did not impact our financial position or results of operations; however the Codification does change the way we refer to GAAP within our financial statements.

 

 

Biogen Idec is a global biotechnology company that creates new standards of care in therapeutic areas with high unmet medical needs. Our business strategy is focused on discovering and developing first-in-class or best-in-class products that we can deliver to specialty markets globally. Patients worldwide benefit from Biogen Idec’s significant products that address medical needs in the areas of neurology, oncology and immunology.

 

Marketed Products

 

We have four therapeutic products on the market, which are summarized in the table below.

 

 

Additional financial information about our product revenues, other revenues and geographic areas in which we operate is set forth in our Consolidated Financial Statements and in Note 20, Segment Information to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

Research and Development

 

We devote significant resources to research and development programs and external business development opportunities. We intend to focus our research and development efforts on finding novel therapeutics in areas of high unmet medical need within our core and emergent focus areas of neurology, oncology, immunology, cardiopulmonary and hemophilia.

 

In 2009, 2008 and 2007, our research and development costs totaled $1,283.1 million, $1,072.1 million and $925.2 million, respectively. We incurred charges associated with acquired in-process research and development of $25.0 million and $84.2 million in 2008 and 2007 respectively. No acquired in-process research and development charges were incurred in 2009.

 

CEO Retirement

 

On January 4, 2010, we announced that James C. Mullen will retire as our President and Chief Executive Officer on June 8, 2010, and will retire from our Board of Directors upon the completion of his current term as a director at our 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. We entered into a transition agreement with Mr. Mullen on January 4, 2010, which is filed as an exhibit to this report. Under the transition agreement, we agreed with Mr. Mullen (1) to continue to pay Mr. Mullen’s current base salary of $1.2 million through June 8, 2010, (2) to pay Mr. Mullen a bonus for 2009 calculated as 125% of his 2009 base salary of $1.2 million multiplied by our corporate multiplier for 2009 determined based on our achievement of goals established at the beginning of 2009, (3) to pay Mr. Mullen a bonus for 2010 calculated as 125% of his prorated base salary, (4) to vest all of Mr. Mullen’s unvested equity awards on the date of his retirement, (5) to allow Mr. Mullen to exercise his vested stock options until June 8, 2013 or their expiration, whichever is earlier, and (6) that if we make a public announcement of a transaction that constitutes a change in control prior to June 8, 2010, Mr. Mullen will be entitled to a severance payment in the

amount of three times the sum of his annual base salary and target bonus and a related tax payment provided under his employment agreement upon consummation of the transaction. We have initiated a search for Mr. Mullen’s successor.

 

Available Information

 

We were formed as a California corporation in 1985 and became a Delaware corporation in 1997. Our principal executive offices are located at 14 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142 and our telephone number is (617) 679-2000. Our website address is www.biogenidec.com. We make available free of charge through the Investor Relations section of our website our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). We include our website address in this report only as an inactive textual reference and do not intend it to be an active link to our website. The contents of our website are not incorporated into this filing.

 

Our marketed products address the following diseases: multiple sclerosis (MS); non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL); rheumatoid arthritis (RA); Crohn’s disease (CD); and psoriasis. As part of our ongoing development efforts, we are also seeking to expand our marketed products into other diseases, such as Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) associated vasculitis, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and ulcerative colitis. The approved indications for, and ongoing development of, our marketed products are summarized in the table below. Drug development involves a high degree of risk, and the status, timing and scope of our clinical trials, drug approvals and applications for approval are subject to change. Important factors that could adversely affect our drug development efforts are discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of this report.

 

 

 

 

AVONEX

 

AVONEX is one of the leading therapeutic products for relapsing forms of MS with over 135,000 patients currently using AVONEX. 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. Patients with active relapsing MS experience an uneven pattern of disease progression characterized by periods of stability that are interrupted by flare-ups of the disease after which the patient returns to a new baseline of functioning. AVONEX is a recombinant form of the interferon beta protein produced in the body in response to viral infection. AVONEX has been shown in clinical trials in relapsing MS both to slow the accumulation of disability and to reduce the frequency of flare-ups.

 

2009 Developments

 

 

RITUXAN

 

RITUXAN is one of the most prescribed oncology therapeutics in the world with over 2.1 million patient exposures across all indications. RITUXAN is a monoclonal antibody that is used worldwide to treat NHL and RA. NHL is a cancer that affects lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cell that help to fight infection. RA is a chronic disease that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s joints, resulting in inflammation, pain and joint damage.

 

We collaborate with the Roche Group, through its wholly-owned member Genentech, Inc., on the development and commercialization of RITUXAN. Please read Note 17, Collaborations to our Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of this collaboration.

 

2009 Developments

 

 

TYSABRI

 

We believe that TYSABRI is one of the most efficacious treatments for MS. TYSABRI is a monoclonal antibody (natalizumab) that was initially approved by the FDA in November 2004 to treat relapsing MS. In February 2005, in consultation with the FDA, we and our collaborator Elan Corporation plc (Elan) voluntarily suspended the marketing and commercial distribution of TYSABRI based on reports of cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in patients treated with TYSABRI in clinical studies. PML is an opportunistic viral infection of the brain that often leads to death or severe disability. In July 2006, TYSABRI was reintroduced in the U.S., and introduced in the European Union, as a monotherapy treatment for relapsing MS. TYSABRI is also approved in the U.S. to treat CD, which is an inflammatory disease of the intestines.

 

TYSABRI is marketed under risk management or minimization plans as agreed to with local regulatory authorities. In the U.S., TYSABRI was reintroduced with a risk minimization action plan known as the TOUCH Prescribing Program, a rigorous system intended to educate physicians and patients about the risks involved and to assure appropriate use of the product.

 

We collaborate with Elan on the development and commercialization of TYSABRI. Please read Note 17, Collaborations to our Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of this collaboration.

 

2009 Developments

 

 

FUMADERM

 

FUMADERM is the most prescribed oral systemic treatment for severe psoriasis in Germany. Psoriasis is a skin disease in which cells build up on the skin surface and form scales and red patches.

 

We receive royalty revenues on sales by our licensees of other products covered under patents that we own. We have also sold or exclusively licensed to third parties rights to certain products previously included within our product line. Royalty or supply agreement revenues received based upon those products are recorded as corporate partner revenue.

 

Our royalty revenues are dependent upon our licensees’ sales of licensed products which could vary significantly due to competition, manufacturing difficulties and other factors that are outside our control. In addition, the expiration or invalidation of any underlying patents could reduce or eliminate the royalty revenues derived from such patents. Royalties on sales of ANGIOMAX (bivalirudin) by The Medicines Company (TMC) represent our most significant source of other revenue. TMC markets ANGIOMAX primarily in the U.S. and the European Union for use as an anticoagulant in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Please read the subsection entitled “Other Revenue — Royalty Revenues” in the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” section of this report for a description of this royalty arrangement and factors that could adversely effect this portion of our revenues.

 

In 2009, 2008 and 2007, our royalty revenues totaled $124.4 million, $116.2 million and $102.1 million, respectively, and our corporate partner revenues totaled $5.1 million, $13.4 million and $6.6 million, respectively. Additional financial information about our product revenues, other revenues and geographic areas in which we operate is set forth in our Consolidated Financial Statements and in Note 20, Segment Information to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

In addition to the ongoing development of our marketed products, we currently have a number of product candidates in or near registrational stage development. Drug development involves a high degree of risk, and the status, timing and scope of our clinical trials, drug approvals and applications for approval are subject to change. Important factors that could adversely affect our drug development efforts are discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of this report.

 

BG-12

 

BG-12 is an oral compound that is being tested in relapsing MS. During 2009, we completed patient enrollment in two Phase 3 trials of BG-12 in relapsing MS, known as DEFINE and CONFIRM, with the CONFIRM trial including a glatiramer acetate (COPAXONE) reference comparator arm. Both studies have a two year treatment period with each study involving approximately 1,200 to 1,500 patients worldwide. The FDA has granted BG-12 fast track status, which may result in an expedited review.

 

Daclizumab

 

Daclizumab is a monoclonal antibody that is being tested in relapsing MS. A Phase 2b trial of daclizumab in MS, known as SELECT, is currently underway. The SELECT trial has a one year treatment period and is expected to involve approximately 600 patients worldwide. The SELECT trial is the first of two registrational trials required by regulatory authorities. We expect to begin patient enrollment in a Phase 3 trial of daclizumab in relapsing MS, known as DECIDE, during the first half of 2010. The DECIDE trial has a two year treatment period and is expected to involve approximately 1,400 patients worldwide. The DECIDE trial is the second registrational trial required by regulatory authorities.

 

We collaborate with Facet Biotech Corporation (Facet) on the development and commercialization of daclizumab. In January 2010, we agreed with our collaborator, Facet, to assume the manufacture of daclizumab and began the process of transferring from Facet the manufacturing technology necessary for us to manufacture daclizumab. Any delay in completing or implementing such transfer could adversely affect the timing of our daclizumab trials. Please read Note 17, Collaborations to our Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of this collaboration.

 

Fampridine

 

Fampridine is an oral compound that is being developed as a treatment to improve walking ability in people with MS. In December 2009, we filed for approval of fampridine in the European Union and Canada for this indication. Fampridine was approved in the U.S. on January 22, 2010 under the trade name AMPYRA (dalfampridine). AMPYRA is indicated to improve walking in patients with MS. This was demonstrated by an increase in walking speed. Acorda is developing and marketing AMPYRA in the U.S. We collaborate with Acorda on the development and commercialization of fampridine in markets outside the U.S. Please read Note 17, Collaborations to our Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of this collaboration.

 

GA101

 

GA101 is a monoclonal antibody that is being tested in CLL. During the second half of 2009, we began patient enrollment in a Phase 3 trial of GA101 in combination with chlorambucil as compared to rituximab plus chlorambucil or chlorambucil alone in patients with previously untreated CLL. The study is designed to have a treatment period of approximately 6 months, with a minimum five year follow-up period, and involve approximately 800 patients worldwide.

 

We collaborate with the Roche Group, through its wholly-owned member Genentech, on the development and commercialization of GA101. Please read Note 17, Collaborations to our Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of this collaboration.

Humanized Anti-CD20 MAb (ocrelizumab)

 

Ocrelizumab is a monoclonal antibody that is being tested in RA. We and Genentech initiated four Phase 3 trials evaluating ocrelizumab in RA, known as SCRIPT, FEATURE, STAGE and FILM, and a Phase 2 trial known as CINEMA.

 

The SCRIPT study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of ocrelizumab, compared with placebo, in patients with active RA who have an inadequate response to at least one anti-TNF-alpha therapy. This study has a one year treatment period and involves approximately 800 patients worldwide.

 

In January 2010, we and Genentech determined that the FEATURE study, which evaluated a single infusion of ocrelizumab versus placebo (with dual infusions as an active control) in seropositive RA patients with an inadequate response to prior therapies, did not meet its primary efficacy endpoint as a single infusion.

 

In December 2009, we and Genentech announced that STAGE, which evaluated ocrelizumab in combination with methotrexate, met its primary endpoint of improving signs and symptoms (as measured by criteria, known as the ACR 20 response, established by the American College of Rheumatology) in RA patients who had an inadequate response to methotrexate at both 24 and 48 weeks.

 

In October 2009, a safety review of ocrelizumab data in RA and lupus nephritis (LN) clinical trials was performed revealing an apparent imbalance in opportunistic infections among ocrelizumab-treated RA and LN patients in these clinical trials. Based upon this review, redosing was stopped in FILM, which evaluated ocrelizumab given in combination with methotrexate to methotrexate naïve RA patients. Redosing was also stopped in the Asia Pacific region for the SCRIPT, FEATURE and STAGE studies.

 

The CINEMA study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of ocrelizumab in combination with methotrexate compared with infliximab plus methotrexate in patients with active RA who have an inadequate response to certain anti-TNF-alpha therapies. This study has a treatment period of approximately 6 months and involves approximately 300 patients.

 

We collaborate with the Roche Group, through its wholly-owned member Genentech, on the development and commercialization of ocrelizumab. Please read Note 17, Collaborations to our Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of this collaboration.

 

Lixivaptan

 

Lixivaptan is an oral compound that is being tested in hyponatremia, an electrolyte disorder that contributes to negative patient outcomes in congestive heart failure and many other chronic diseases. Three Phase 3 trials of lixivaptan in hyponatremia are currently underway. These studies have a 60 day or six month treatment period and involve approximately 100 to 650 patients worldwide.

 

We collaborate with Cardiokine Biopharma LLC on the development and commercialization of lixivaptan. Please read Note 17, Collaborations to our Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of this collaboration.

 

Long-Acting rFactor IX

 

Long-acting recombinant Factor IX (Factor IX) is a proprietary long-acting Factor IX product that is being tested in hemophilia B, a disorder in which blood clotting is impaired. In January 2010, we began patient enrollment in a Phase 2b/3 trial of Factor IX in hemophilia B, known as B-LONG. This study has a 14 month treatment period and will involve approximately 75 patients. Factor IX has received orphan drug designation for the treatment of hemophilia B from both the FDA and EMA.

 

We collaborate with Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (Biovitrum) on the development and commercialization of Factor IX. Please read Note 17, Collaborations to our Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of this collaboration.

PEGylated interferon beta-1a

 

PEGylated interferon beta-1a is designed to prolong the effects and reduce the dosing frequency of interferon beta-1a. During the first half of 2009, we began patient enrollment in a Phase 3 trial of PEGylated interferon beta-1a in relapsing MS, known as ADVANCE. The study is designed to have a two year treatment period and involve approximately 1,200 patients worldwide. The FDA has granted PEGylated interferon beta-1a fast track status, which may result in an expedited review.

 

Former Registrational Programs

 

Based upon the October 2009 safety review of ocrelizumab data in RA and LN clinical trials described above, we decided to close the ocrelizumab BELONG study in LN. The SCRIPT study of ocrelizumab in RA described above remains ongoing. We plan to work with regulators to determine the next step for this program.

 

In October 2009, after a strategic review of our Anti-CD80 MAb (galiximab) and Anti-CD23 MAb (lumiliximab) programs, we decided to stop recruitment in the lumiliximab LUCID trial in CLL and end the galiximab TARGET trial in NHL. Neither decision was a consequence of any safety concerns. We are evaluating our options for these programs.

 

In December 2009, we determined to close our ADENTRI clinical trial for the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure with renal insufficiency after reviewing preliminary results from the trial.

 

We intend to continue to commit significant resources to research and development opportunities, focusing on novel therapeutics in areas of high unmet medical need. Highlighted below are several of our development programs that currently are not in registrational trials. Drug development involves a high degree of risk, and the status, timing and scope of our development programs are subject to change. Important factors that could adversely affect our drug development efforts are discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of this report.

 

 

Patents are important to developing and protecting our competitive position. We regularly seek patent protection in the U.S. and in selected countries outside the U.S. for inventions originating from our research and development efforts. In addition, we license rights to various patents and patent applications, generally, in return for the payment of royalties to the patent owner. U.S. patents, as well as most foreign patents, are generally effective for 20 years from the date the earliest (priority) application was filed; however, U.S. patents that issue on applications filed before June 8, 1995 may be effective until 17 years from the issue date, if that is later than the 20 year date. In some cases, the patent term may be extended to recapture a portion of the term lost during FDA regulatory review or because of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) delays in prosecuting the application. The duration of foreign patents varies similarly, in accordance with local law.

 

We also rely upon unpatented confidential information to remain competitive. We protect such information principally through confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, outside scientific collaborators, scientists whose research we sponsor and other advisers. In the case of our employees, these agreements also provide, in compliance with relevant law, that inventions and other intellectual property conceived by such employees during their employment shall be our exclusive property.

 

Our trademarks, including RITUXAN and AVONEX, are important to us and are generally covered by trademark applications or registrations in the USPTO and the patent offices of other countries. We also use trademarks licensed from third parties, such as the mark TYSABRI which we license from Elan. Trademark protection varies in accordance with local law, and continues in some countries as long as the mark is used and in other countries as long as the mark is registered. Trademark registrations generally are for fixed but renewable terms.

 

Our patent position and proprietary rights are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Please read the “Risk Factors” section of this report for information about certain risks and uncertainties that may affect our patent position and proprietary rights.

 

Additional information about the patents and other proprietary rights covering our marketed products is set forth below.

 

AVONEX and Beta Interferon

 

Our U.S. patent No. 7,588,755, granted in September 2009, claims the use of beta interferon for immunomodulation or treating a viral condition, viral disease, cancers or tumors. This patent, which expires in September 2026, covers the treatment of MS with AVONEX.

 

We have non-exclusive rights under certain third-party patents and patent applications to manufacture, use and sell AVONEX, including patents owned by the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research which expire in 2011 and 2013 in the U.S., and a European patent owned by Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH and which expires in 2012. Additionally, third parties own pending U.S. patent applications related to recombinant interferon-beta. These applications, which fall outside of the GATT amendments to the U.S. patent statute, are not published by the USPTO and, if they mature into granted patents, may be entitled to a term of seventeen years from the grant date. There is at least one pending interference proceeding in the USPTO involving such third party applications, and additional interferences could be declared in the future. We are unable to predict which, if any, such applications will mature into patents with claims relevant to our AVONEX product.

 

RITUXAN and Anti-CD20 Antibodies

 

We have several U.S. patents and patent applications, and numerous corresponding foreign counterparts, directed to anti-CD20 antibody technology, including RITUXAN. The principal patents with claims to RITUXAN or its uses expire in the U.S. between 2015 and 2018 and in the rest of the world in 2013, subject to any available patent term extensions. In addition, we and our collaborator, Genentech, have filed numerous patent applications directed to anti-CD20 antibodies and their uses to treat various diseases. These pending patent applications have the potential of issuing as patents in the U.S. and in the rest of world with claims to anti-CD20 antibody molecules for periods beyond that stated above for RITUXAN. In 2008, a European patent of ours claiming the treatment with

anti-CD20 antibodies of certain auto-immune indications, including rheumatoid arthritis, was revoked by the European Patent Office. We are appealing that decision.

 

Genentech, our collaborator on RITUXAN, has secured an exclusive license to five U.S. patents and counterpart U.S. and foreign patent applications assigned to Xoma Corporation that relate to chimeric antibodies against the CD20 antigen. These patents expire between 2007 and 2014. Genentech has granted us a non-exclusive sublicense to make, have made, use and sell RITUXAN under these patents and patent applications. We, along with Genentech, share the cost of any royalties due to Xoma in our co-promotion territory on sales of RITUXAN.

 

TYSABRI

 

We and our collaborator, Elan, have patents and patent applications covering TYSABRI in the U.S. and other countries. These patents and patent applications cover TYSABRI and related manufacturing methods, as well as various methods of treatment using the product. In the U.S., the principal patents covering the product and use of the product to treat MS generally expire between 2015 and 2020. Additional U.S. patents and applications covering other indications, including treatment of irritable bowel disease, and methods of manufacturing generally expire between 2012 and 2020. In the rest of world, patents on the product and methods of manufacturing the product generally expire between 2015 and 2020, subject to any supplemental protection (i.e., patent term extension) certificates that may be obtained. In the rest of world, patents and patent applications covering methods of treatment using TYSABRI generally expire between 2012 and 2020.

 

We focus our sales and marketing efforts on specialist physicians in private practice or at major medical centers. We use customary pharmaceutical company practices to market our products and to educate physicians, such as sales representatives calling on individual physicians, advertisements, professional symposia, direct mail, selling initiatives, public relations and other methods. We provide customer service and other related programs for our products, such as disease and product-specific websites, insurance research services and order, delivery and fulfillment services. We have also established programs in the U.S. which provide qualified uninsured or underinsured patients with marketed products at no or reduced charge. Additional information about our sales, marketing and distribution efforts for our marketed products is set forth below.

 

AVONEX

 

We continue to focus our marketing and sales activities on maximizing the potential of AVONEX in the U.S. and the rest of world in the face of increased competition. The principal markets for AVONEX are the U.S., Germany, France, and Italy. In the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Japan and most of the major countries of the European Union, we market and sell AVONEX through our own sales forces and marketing groups and distribute AVONEX principally through wholesale distributors of pharmaceutical products, mail order specialty distributors or shipping service providers. In other countries, we sell AVONEX to distribution partners who are then responsible for most marketing and distribution activities.

 

RITUXAN

 

In the U.S., we contribute a sales force and other resources to the marketing of RITUXAN, which is managed primarily by the Roche Group through its wholly-owned member and our collaborator Genentech. RITUXAN is generally sold to wholesalers, specialty distributors and directly to hospital pharmacies. Marketing efforts are focused on hematologists, medical oncologists and rheumatologists in private practice, at community hospitals and at major medical centers in the U.S. The Roche Group provides marketing support services for RITUXAN, including customer service, order entry, shipping, billing, insurance verification assistance, managed care sales support, medical information and sales training.

 

In the rest of world, the Roche Group and its sublicensees market and sell RITUXAN without our participation.

TYSABRI

 

The principal markets for TYSABRI are the U.S., Germany, France and Italy.

 

In the U.S., we are principally responsible for marketing TYSABRI for MS and Elan is principally responsible for marketing TYSABRI for CD. We and Elan use our respective sales forces and marketing groups for these activities. 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, we are responsible for TYSABRI marketing and distribution and we use a combination of our own sales force and marketing group and third party service providers.

 

FUMADERM

 

We have been marketing and distributing FUMADERM directly in Germany since February 2009 and previously used a third party service provider.

 

Competition in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries is intense and comes from many and varied sources, including specialized biotechnology firms and large pharmaceutical companies. Many of our competitors are working to develop products similar to those we are developing or already market and have considerable experience in undertaking clinical trials and in obtaining regulatory approval to market pharmaceutical products. Certain of these companies have substantially greater financial, marketing, research and development and human resources than we do.

 

We believe that competition and leadership in the industry will be based on managerial and technological superiority and establishing patent and other proprietary positions through research and development. The achievement of a leadership position also depends largely upon our ability to identify and exploit commercially the products resulting from research and the availability of adequate financial resources to fund facilities, equipment, personnel, clinical testing, manufacturing and marketing. Another key aspect of remaining competitive within the industry is recruiting and retaining qualified scientists and technicians. We believe that we have been successful in attracting skilled and experienced scientific personnel.

 

Competition among products approved for sale may be based, among other things, on patent position, product efficacy, safety, convenience, reliability, availability and price. In addition, early entry of a new pharmaceutical product into the market may have important advantages in gaining product acceptance and market share. Accordingly, the relative speed with which we can develop products, complete the testing and approval process and supply commercial quantities of products will have an important impact on our competitive position.

 

We may face increased competitive pressures as a result of the emergence of biosimilars. Most of our marketed products, including AVONEX, RITUXAN and TYSABRI, are licensed under the Public Health Service Act as biological products. Unlike small molecule drugs, which are subject to the generic drug provisions (Hatch-Waxman Act) of the U.S. Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, currently there is no process in the U.S. for the submission or approval of biological products based upon abbreviated data packages or a showing of sameness to another approved product. There is public dialogue at the FDA and in the Congress, however, regarding the scientific and statutory basis upon which such products, known as biosimilars or follow-on biologics, could be approved and marketed in the U.S. We cannot be certain when, or if, Congress will create a statutory pathway for the approval of biosimilars. In the European Union, the EMA has issued guidelines for approving of biological products through an abbreviated pathway, and several biosimilars have been approved. If a biosimilar version of one of our products were approved, it could reduce our sales of that product.

 

Additional information about the competition that our marketed products face is set forth below.

AVONEX AND TYSABRI

 

AVONEX and TYSABRI both compete primarily with three other products:

 

 

Along with us, a number of companies are working to develop products to treat MS that may in the future compete with AVONEX and TYSABRI. For example, an oral formulation of cladribine (developed by Merck Serono) was filed with the EMA and is the subject of discussions with the FDA regarding a refiling for approval as therapy for MS and FTY720 (fingolimod) (developed by Novartis AG) has been filed with the EMA and FDA for approval as an oral therapy for MS. In addition, alemtuzumab (developed by Genzyme Corporation) and laquinimod (developed by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries) are in late-stage development for the treatment of MS.

 

AVONEX and TYSABRI also face competition from off-label uses of drugs approved for other indications.

 

RITUXAN IN ONCOLOGY

 

RITUXAN competes with several different types of therapies in the oncology market, including:

 

 

We are also aware of other anti-CD20 molecules in development that, if successfully developed and registered, may compete with RITUXAN in the oncology market.

 

RITUXAN IN RA

 

RITUXAN competes with several different types of therapies in the RA market, including:

 

 

We are also aware of other products in development that, if successfully developed and registered, may compete with RITUXAN in the RA market.

FUMADERM

 

FUMADERM competes with several different types of therapies in the psoriasis market within Germany, including oral systemics such as methotrexate and cyclosporine.

 

Our current and contemplated activities and the products and processes that will result from such activities are subject to substantial government regulation.

 

Regulation of Pharmaceuticals

 

Before new pharmaceutical products may be sold in the U.S. and other countries, clinical trials of the products must be conducted and the results submitted to appropriate regulatory agencies for approval. Clinical trial programs must establish efficacy, determine an appropriate dose and regimen, and define the conditions for safe use. This is a high-risk process that requires stepwise clinical studies in which the candidate product must successfully meet predetermined endpoints. In the U.S., the results of the preclinical and clinical testing of a product are then submitted to the FDA in the form of a Biologics License Application (BLA) or a New Drug Application (NDA). In response to a BLA or NDA, the FDA may grant marketing approval, request additional information or deny the application if it determines the application does not provide an adequate basis for approval. Similar submissions are required by authorities in other jurisdictions who independently assess the product and may reach the same or different conclusions. Our initial focus for obtaining marketing approval outside the U.S. is typically the European Union. There are currently three potential tracks for marketing approval in E.U. countries: mutual recognition, decentralized procedures, and centralized procedures. These review mechanisms may ultimately lead to approval in all countries within the European Union, but each method grants all participating countries some decision-making authority in product approval.

 

The receipt of regulatory approval often takes a number of years, involves the expenditure of substantial resources and depends on a number of factors, including the severity of the disease in question, the availability of alternative treatments and the risks and benefits demonstrated in clinical trials. On occasion, regulatory authorities may require larger or additional studies, leading to unanticipated delay or expense. Even after initial FDA approval or approvals from other regulatory agencies have been obtained, further clinical trials may be required to provide additional data on safety and effectiveness. Additional trials are required to gain clearance for the use of a product as a treatment for indications other than those initially approved. Furthermore, the FDA and other regulatory agencies require companies to disclose clinical trial results. Failure to disclose such results within applicable time periods could result in penalties, including civil monetary penalties.

 

In the U.S., the FDA may grant “accelerated approval” status to products that treat serious or life-threatening illnesses and that provide meaningful therapeutic benefits to patients over existing treatments. Under this pathway, the FDA may approve a product based on surrogate endpoints, or clinical endpoints other than survival or irreversible morbidity, or when the product is shown to be effective but can be safely used only if access to or distribution of the product is restricted. When approval is based on surrogate endpoints or clinical endpoints other than survival or morbidity, the sponsor will be required to conduct additional clinical studies to verify and describe clinical benefit. When accelerated approval requires restricted use or distribution, the sponsor may be required to establish rigorous systems to assure use of the product under safe conditions. These systems are usually referred to as Risk Minimization Action Plans (RiskMAPs) or Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS). In addition, for all products approved under accelerated approval, sponsors must submit all copies of its promotional materials, including advertisements, to the FDA at least thirty days prior to their initial dissemination. Accelerated approval status does not ensure that FDA will ultimately approve the product. The FDA may also withdraw approval under accelerated approval after a hearing if, for instance, post-marketing studies fail to verify any clinical benefit or it becomes clear that restrictions on the distribution of the product are inadequate to ensure its safe use. TYSABRI was approved in MS under the accelerated approval pathway and, after efficacy was confirmed, was approved under a stringent restricted distribution program. TYSABRI was also approved for Crohn’s disease under a similar restricted distribution program. We cannot be certain that the FDA will approve any products for their proposed indications whether under accelerated approval or another pathway.

If the FDA or other regulatory agency approves a product or new indication, the agency may require us to conduct additional post-marketing studies. If we fail to conduct the required studies or otherwise fail to comply with the conditions of accelerated approval, the agency may withdraw its approval. In addition, the FDA and EMA can impose financial penalties for failing to comply with certain post-marketing commitments, including RiskMAPs and REMS.

 

Regulatory authorities track information on side effects and adverse events reported during clinical studies and after marketing approval. Non-compliance with FDA safety reporting requirements may result in civil or criminal penalties. Side effects or adverse events that are reported during clinical trials can delay, impede, or prevent marketing approval. The FDA may conduct post-marketing safety surveillance and may require additional post-approval studies or clinical trials. These requirements may affect our ability to maintain marketing approval of our products or require us to make significant expenditures to obtain or maintain such approvals. In addition, adverse events that are reported after marketing approval can result in changes to the product’s labeling, additional limitations being placed on the product’s use and, potentially, withdrawal or suspension of the product from the market.

 

If we seek to make certain changes to an approved product, such as adding a new indication, making certain manufacturing changes, or changing manufacturers or suppliers of certain ingredients or components, regulatory authorities, including the FDA and EMA, will need to review and approve such changes in advance.

 

In addition, the FDA regulates all advertising and promotion activities for products under its jurisdiction both before and after approval. A company can make only those claims relating to safety and efficacy that are approved by the FDA. However, physicians may prescribe legally available drugs for uses that are not described in the drug’s labeling. Such off-label uses are common across medical specialties, and often reflect a physician’s belief that the off-label use is the best treatment for patients. The FDA does not regulate the behavior of physicians in their choice of treatments, but the FDA regulations do impose stringent restrictions on manufacturers’ communications regarding off-label uses. Failure to comply with applicable FDA requirements may subject a company to adverse publicity, enforcement action by the FDA, corrective advertising, and the full range of civil and criminal penalties available to the FDA.

 

Good Manufacturing Practices

 

The FDA, the EMA and other regulatory agencies regulate and inspect equipment, facilities, and processes used in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical and biologic products prior to approving a product. If, after receiving clearance from regulatory agencies, a company makes a material change in manufacturing equipment, location, or process, additional regulatory review and approval may be required. We also must adhere to current Good Manufacturing Practices and product-specific regulations enforced by the FDA following product approval. The FDA, the EMA and other regulatory agencies also conduct periodic visits to re-inspect equipment, facilities, and processes following the initial approval of a product. If, as a result of these inspections, it is determined that our equipment, facilities, or processes do not comply with applicable regulations and conditions of product approval, regulatory agencies may seek civil, criminal, or administrative sanctions or remedies against us, including the suspension of our manufacturing operations.

 

Good Clinical Practices

 

The FDA, the EMA and other regulatory agencies promulgate regulations and standards, commonly referred to as current Good Clinical Practices (cGCP), for designing, conducting, monitoring, auditing and reporting the results of clinical trials to ensure that the data and results are accurate and that the trial participants are adequately protected. The FDA, the EMA and other regulatory agencies enforce cGCP through periodic inspections of trial sponsors, principal investigators and trial sites. If our study sites fail to comply with applicable cGCP, the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and relevant regulatory agencies may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving our marketing applications.

Orphan Drug Act

 

Under the U.S. Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may grant orphan drug designation to drugs intended to treat a “rare disease or condition,” which generally is a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the U.S. If a product which has an orphan drug designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the indication for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to orphan exclusivity, i.e., the FDA may not approve any other applications to market the same drug for the same indication for a period of seven years following marketing approval, except in certain very limited circumstances, such as if the later product is shown to be clinically superior to the orphan product. Legislation similar to the U.S. Orphan Drug Act has been enacted in other countries, including within the European Union.

 

Regulation Pertaining to Sales, Marketing and Product Pricing

 

In the U.S., the federal government regularly considers reforming health care coverage and costs. For example, reforms to Medicare have reduced the reimbursement rates for many of our products. Effective January 1, 2005, Medicare pays physicians and suppliers that furnish our products under a payment methodology using average sales price (ASP) information. Manufacturers, including us, are required to provide ASP information to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on a quarterly basis. The manufacturer-submitted information is used to compute Medicare payment rates, which are set at ASP plus 6 percent and updated quarterly. There is a mechanism for comparison of such payment rates to widely available market prices, which could cause further decreases in Medicare payment rates, although this mechanism has yet to be utilized. Effective January 1, 2006, Medicare began to use the same payment methodology to determine Medicare rates paid for products furnished by hospital outpatient departments. As of January 1, 2010, the reimbursement rate in the hospital outpatient setting is ASP plus 4 percent. If a manufacturer is found to have made a misrepresentation in the reporting of ASP, the statute provides for civil monetary penalties of up to $10,000 for each misrepresentation and for each day in which the misrepresentation was applied.

 

Another payment reform is the addition of an expanded prescription drug benefit for all Medicare beneficiaries known as Medicare Part D. This is a voluntary benefit that is provided through private plans under contractual arrangements with the federal government. Like pharmaceutical coverage through private health insurance, Part D plans establish formularies that govern the drugs and biologicals that will be offered and the out- of-pocket obligations for such products. In addition, plans negotiate discounts from drug manufacturers and pass on some of those savings to Medicare beneficiaries.

 

In the U.S., Congress has considered legislation to reform the healthcare system that likely would have an adverse impact on our revenues, by, among other things, increasing the current Medicaid rebate, adding a subsidy for certain out-of-pocket patient costs under Medicare Part D, and assessing a pharmaceutical manufacturer fee. In addition, the passage in the U.S. of legislation defining a pathway for biosimilar products likely would have an adverse impact on our revenues.

 

Future legislation or regulatory actions implementing recent or future legislation may have a significant effect on our business. Our ability to successfully commercialize products may depend in part on the extent to which reimbursement for the costs of our products and related treatments will be available in the U.S. and worldwide from government health administration authorities, private health insurers and other organizations. Substantial uncertainty exists as to the reimbursement status of newly approved health care products by third party payors.

 

We also participate in the Medicaid rebate program. Under the Medicaid rebate program, we pay a rebate for each unit of product reimbursed by Medicaid. The amount of the rebate for each product is set by law as the larger of 15.1% of average manufacturer price (AMP) or the difference between AMP and the best price available from us to any commercial or non-governmental customer. The rebate amount must be adjusted upward where the AMP for a product’s first full quarter of sales, when adjusted for increases in the Consumer Price Index — Urban exceeds the AMP for the current quarter with the upward adjustment equal to the excess amount. The rebate amount is required to be recomputed each quarter based on our report of current AMP and best price for each of our products to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The terms of our participation in the program imposes a requirement for us to report revisions to AMP or best price within a period not to exceed 12 quarters from the quarter in which the data was originally due. Any such revisions could have the impact of increasing or decreasing our rebate liability for

prior quarters, depending on the direction of the revision. In addition, if we were found to have knowingly submitted false information to the government, the statute provides for civil monetary penalties in the amount not to exceed $100,000 per item of false information in addition to other penalties available to the government.

 

The availability of federal funds to pay for our products under the Medicaid and Medicare Part B programs requires that we extend discounts to a variety of community health clinics and other entities that receive health services grants from the Public Health Service, as well as hospitals that serve a disproportionate share of poor Medicare beneficiaries.

 

We also make our products available for purchase by authorized users of the Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) of the General Services Administration pursuant to our FSS contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Under the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 (VHC Act) we are required to offer deeply discounted FSS contract pricing to four federal agencies — the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard and the Public Health Service (including the Indian Health Service) — for federal funding to be made available for reimbursement of any of our products under the Medicaid program and for our products to be eligible to be purchased by those four federal agencies and certain federal grantees. FSS pricing to those four federal agencies must be equal to or less than the “Federal Ceiling Price,” which is discounted, at a minimum, 24% from the Non-Federal Average Manufacturer Price for the prior fiscal year. In addition, if we are found to have knowingly submitted false information to the government, the VHC Act provides for civil monetary penalties of up to $100,000 per false item of information in addition to other penalties available to the government. Under the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, we are required to treat the TRICARE retail pharmacy program, which reimburses military personnel for drug purchases from retail pharmacies, as an element of the Department of Defense for purposes of the procurement of drugs by federal agencies to ensure that the pharmaceuticals paid for by the Department of Defense under the TRICARE retail pharmacy program are subject to the pricing standards of the VHC Act.

 

We are also subject to various federal and state laws pertaining to health care “fraud and abuse,” including anti-kickback laws and false claims laws. Anti-kickback laws make it illegal for a prescription drug manufacturer to solicit, offer, receive, or pay any remuneration in exchange for, or to induce, the referral of business, including the purchase or prescription of a particular drug. Due to the breadth of the statutory provisions and the absence of guidance in the form of regulations and very few court decisions addressing industry practices, it is possible that our practices might be challenged under anti-kickback or similar laws. False claims laws prohibit anyone from knowingly and willingly presenting, or causing to be presented for payment to third party payors (including Medicare and Medicaid) claims for reimbursed drugs or services that are false or fraudulent, claims for items or services not provided as claimed, or claims for medically unnecessary items or services. In addition, several states require that companies implement compliance programs or comply with industry ethics codes, adopt spending limits, and report to state governments any gifts, compensation, and other remuneration provided to physicians. Federal legislation, the Physician Payments Sunshine Act of 2009, also has been proposed that would require disclosure to the federal government of payments to physicians. Our activities relating to the sale and marketing of our products may be subject to scrutiny under these laws. Violations of these laws may be punishable by criminal or civil sanctions, including fines and civil monetary penalties, as well as the possibility of exclusion from federal health care programs (including Medicare and Medicaid). In addition, private individuals may bring similar actions.

 

Our activities could be subject to challenge for the reasons discussed above and due to the broad scope of these laws and the increasing attention being given to them by law enforcement authorities. Further, there are an increasing number of state laws that require manufacturers to make reports to states on pricing and marketing information. Many of these laws contain ambiguities as to what is required to comply with the laws. Given the lack of clarity in laws and their implementation, our reporting actions could be subject to the penalty provisions of the pertinent state authorities.

 

Other Regulations

 

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

 

We are also subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which prohibits corporations and individuals from paying, offering to pay, or authorizing the payment of anything of value to any foreign government

official, government staff member, political party, or political candidate in an attempt to obtain or retain business or to otherwise influence a person working in an official capacity. The FCPA also requires public companies to make and keep books and records that accurately and fairly reflect their transactions and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls.

 

NIH Guidelines

 

We conduct relevant research at all of our research facilities in the U.S. in compliance with the current U.S. National Institutes of Health Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules (NIH Guidelines) and all other applicable federal and state regulations. By local ordinance, we are required to, among other things, comply with the NIH Guidelines in relation to our facilities in Cambridge, Massachusetts, San Diego, California, and Research Triangle Park, North Carolina and are required to operate pursuant to certain permits.

 

Other Laws

 

Our present and future business has been and will continue to be subject to various other laws and regulations. Various laws, regulations and recommendations relating to safe working conditions, laboratory practices, the experimental use of animals, and the purchase, storage, movement, import and export and use and disposal of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances, including radioactive compounds and infectious disease agents, used in connection with our research work are or may be applicable to our activities. Certain agreements entered into by us involving exclusive license rights may be subject to national or supranational antitrust regulatory control, the effect of which cannot be predicted. The extent of government regulation, which might result from future legislation or administrative action, cannot accurately be predicted.

 

We are focused on the manufacture of biologics. The chart below outlines the location of our primary manufacturing locations and products manufactured therein.

 

 

In April 2009, the FDA approved our high titer process for the production of TYSABRI. Similar approval was obtained from the EMA in December 2008. The new, higher-yield process is being used to manufacture TYSABRI at our plant in Research Triangle Park, NC.

 

The Roche Group, through its wholly-owned member Genentech, is responsible for all worldwide manufacturing activities for bulk RITUXAN and has sourced the manufacturing of certain bulk RITUXAN requirements to an independent third party.

 

We are in the final stages of constructing a large-scale biologics manufacturing facility in Hillerød, Denmark which is intended to manufacture large molecule products. The first phase is complete, which included construction of a labeling and packaging facility, administrative building and laboratory facility, installation of major equipment, and partial completion of a bulk manufacturing facility. The second phase of the project, which we began in January 2007, involves the completion and fit out of the bulk manufacturing facility and construction of a warehouse. The large scale manufacturing facility is scheduled to be ready for commercial production in late 2011. Recent manufacturing improvements have resulted in favorable production yields on TYSABRI, that have reduced our expected capacity requirements. As a result, we are evaluating several alternatives, including whether to delay completion of the facility.

 

We source all of our fill-finish and the majority of final product storage operations for our products, along with a substantial part of our packaging operations, to a concentrated group of third party contractors. Many of the raw

materials and supplies required for the production of AVONEX, TYSABRI and FUMADERM are available from various suppliers in quantities adequate to meet our needs. However, due to the unique nature of the production of our products, we do have single source providers of several raw materials. We make efforts to qualify new vendors and to develop contingency plans so that production is not impacted by short-term issues associated with single source providers. Each of our third party service providers, suppliers and manufacturers is subject to continuing inspection by the FDA or comparable agencies in other jurisdictions. Any delay, interruption or other issues that arise in the manufacture, fill-finish, packaging, or storage of our products, including as a result of a failure of our facilities or the facilities or operations of third parties to pass any regulatory agency inspection, could significantly impair our ability to sell our products.

 

Important factors that could adversely affect our manufacturing operations are discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of this report.

 

As of December 31, 2009, we had approximately 4,750 employees.

 

The following is a list of our executive officers, their ages as of February 9, 2010 and their principal positions.

 

 

Reference to “our” or “us” in the following descriptions include Biogen Idec and IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corporation, and references to the merger mean the merger of Biogen, Inc. and IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corporation in November 2003.

 

James C. Mullen is our Chief Executive Officer and President and is a director, and has served in these positions since the merger. Mr. Mullen was formerly Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Biogen, Inc. He was named Chairman of the Board of Directors of Biogen, Inc. in July 2002, after being named Chief Executive Officer and President of Biogen, Inc. in June 2000. Mr. Mullen joined Biogen, Inc. in 1989 as Director, Facilities and Engineering. He was named Biogen, Inc.’s Vice President, Operations in 1992. From 1996 to 1999, Mr. Mullen served as Vice President, International, with responsibility for building all Biogen, Inc. operations outside North America. From 1984 to 1988, Mr. Mullen held various positions at SmithKline Beckman Corporation (now GlaxoSmithKline plc). Mr. Mullen is a member of the board of directors and executive committee of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and is a former chairman of the board of BIO. Mr. Mullen has been a director of PerkinElmer, Inc. since 2004. Mr. Mullen will retire as Chief Executive Officer and President on June 8, 2010 and will retire as a director at our 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

 

Susan H. Alexander is our Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary and has served in these positions since January 2006. Prior to that, Ms. Alexander served as the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of PAREXEL International Corporation since September 2003. From June 2001 to September 2003, Ms. Alexander served as General Counsel of IONA Technologies. Prior to that, Ms. Alexander

served as Counsel at Cabot Corporation from January 1995 to May 2001. Prior to that, Ms. Alexander was a partner at the law firms of Hinckley, Allen & Snyder and Fine & Ambrogne.

 

Paul J. Clancy is our Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer and has served in that position since August 2007. Mr. Clancy joined Biogen Idec in 2001, and has held several senior executive positions, including Vice President of Business Planning, Portfolio Management and U.S. Marketing, and Senior Vice President of Finance with responsibilities for leading the Treasury, Tax, Investor Relations and Business Planning groups. Prior to joining Biogen Idec, he spent 13 years at PepsiCo, serving in a range of financial and general management positions. He holds a B.S. in finance from Babson College and a M.B.A. from Columbia University.

 

Robert A. Hamm is our Chief Operating Officer and has served in that position since March 2009. Previously, Mr. Hamm served as Executive Vice President, Pharmaceutical Operations & Technology from October 2007 to March 2009; Senior Vice President, Neurology Strategic Business Unit from January 2006 to October 2007; Senior Vice President, Immunology Business Unit from the merger until January 2006; and in the same capacity with Biogen, Inc. from November 2002 to November 2003. Before that, he served as Senior Vice President — Europe, Africa, Canada and Middle East from October 2001 to November 2002. Prior to that, Mr. Hamm served as Vice President — Sales and Marketing of Biogen, Inc. from October 2000 to October 2001. Mr. Hamm previously served as Vice President — Manufacturing from June 1999 to October 2000, Director, Northern Europe and Distributors from November 1996 until June 1999 and Associate Director, Logistics from April 1994 until November 1996. From 1987 until April 1994, Mr. Hamm held a variety of management positions at Syntex Laboratories Corporation, including Director of Operations and New Product Planning, and Manager of Materials, Logistics and Contract Manufacturing. Mr. Hamm has been a member of the board of managers of Progenitor Cell Therapy, LLC. since 2006 and was a director of Inhibitex, Inc. from 2005 to 2009.

 

Michael Lytton is our Executive Vice President, Corporate and Business Development, and has served in that position since February 2009. From 2001 to January 2009, he was a General Partner at Oxford Bioscience Partners, a venture capital firm. Prior to that, he was partner, chairman of the Technology Group and a member of the Executive Committee of the law firm Edwards, Angell, Palmer & Dodge LLP. Prior to that, Mr. Lytton was a junior partner and co-chairman of the Biotechnology Practice of the law firm WilmerHale. Mr. Lytton was a member of the supervisory board of GPC Biotech AG from 2001 to 2009.

 

Michael F. MacLean is our Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer and has served in that position since December 2006. Mr. MacLean joined us in October 2006 as Senior Vice President. Prior to joining us, Mr. MacLean was a managing director of Huron Consulting, where he provided support regarding financial reporting to management and boards of directors of Fortune 500 companies. From June 2002 to October 2005, Mr. MacLean was a partner at KPMG and he was a partner of Arthur Andersen LLP from September 1999 to May 2002.

 

Craig Eric Schneier, Ph.D. is our Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Public Affairs and Communications and has served in that position since October 2007. Prior to that he was Executive Vice President, Human Resources from November 2003 to October 2007. Dr. Schneier served as Executive Vice President, Human Resources of Biogen, Inc., a position he held from January 2003 until the merger. He joined Biogen, Inc. in 2001 as Senior Vice President, Strategic Organization Design and Effectiveness, after having served as an external consultant to us for eight years. Prior to joining Biogen, Inc., Dr. Schneier was president of his own management consulting firm in Princeton, NJ, where he provided consulting services to over 70 of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as several of the largest European and Asian firms. Dr. Schneier held a tenured professorship at the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business and has held teaching positions at the business schools of the University of Michigan, Columbia University, and at the Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College.

 

We are substantially dependent on revenues from our three principal products.

 

Our current and future revenues depend upon continued sales of our three principal products, AVONEX, RITUXAN and TYSABRI, which represented substantially all of our total revenues during 2009. Although we have developed and continue to develop additional products for commercial introduction, we expect to be substantially dependent on sales from these three products for many years. Any negative developments relating to any of these products, such as safety or efficacy issues, the introduction or greater acceptance of competing products, including biosimilars, or adverse regulatory or legislative developments may reduce our revenues and adversely affect our results of operations.

 

Market acceptance and sales growth of TYSABRI are important to our success.

 

TYSABRI is expected to drive additional revenue growth over the next several years. If we are not successful in growing sales of TYSABRI, it would materially and adversely affect our growth and plans for the future.

 

TYSABRI’s sales growth will depend upon its acceptance by the medical community and patients, which cannot be certain given the significant restrictions on use and the significant safety warnings in the label. Since we reintroduced TYSABRI to the market in July 2006, some patients taking TYSABRI have been diagnosed with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare but serious brain infection described in the TYSABRI label. If the incidence of PML were to exceed the rate implied by the TYSABRI label, it could prompt regulatory review and result in significant changes to the label or market withdrawal. The recently revised prescribing information for TYSABRI indicates that the risk of developing PML increases with longer treatment duration, with limited experience beyond 3 years of treatment. This may cause prescribing physicians or patients to suspend treatment with TYSABRI to mitigate the duration risk, which could limit sales. Further increases in incidence rates at various durations of exposure could harm acceptance or limit sales growth. Additional regulatory restrictions on the use of TYSABRI or safety-related label changes, including enhanced risk management programs, whether as a result of additional cases of PML or otherwise, may significantly reduce expected revenues and require significant expense and management time to address the associated legal and regulatory issues.

 

As a relatively new entrant to a maturing MS market, TYSABRI sales may be more sensitive to additional new competing products. A number of such products are expected to be approved for use in MS beginning in 2010. If these products have a similar or more attractive overall profile in terms of efficacy, convenience and safety, future sales of TYSABRI could be limited, which would reduce our revenues.

 

Our long-term success depends upon the successful development and commercialization of other product candidates.

 

Our long-term viability and growth will depend upon the successful development and commercialization of other products from our research and development activities. Product development and commercialization are very expensive and involve a high degree of risk. Only a small number of research and development programs result in the commercialization of a product. Success in preclinical work or early stage clinical trials does not ensure that later stage or larger scale clinical trials will be successful. Even if later stage clinical trials are successful, regulatory authorities may disagree with our view of the data or require additional studies.

 

Conducting clinical trials is a complex, time-consuming and expensive process. Our ability to complete our clinical trials in a timely fashion depends in large part on a number of key factors including protocol design, regulatory and institutional review board approval, the rate of patient enrollment in clinical trials, and compliance with extensive current good clinical practice requirements. We have opened clinical sites and are enrolling patients in a number of new countries where our experience is more limited, and we are in many cases using the services of third-party clinical trial providers. If we fail to adequately manage the design, execution and regulatory aspects of our large, complex and diverse clinical trials, our studies and ultimately our regulatory approvals may be delayed or we may fail to gain approval for our product candidates altogether.

 

Our product pipeline includes several small molecule drug candidates. Our small molecule drug discovery platform is not as well developed as our biologics platform, and we will have to make a significant investment of

time and resources to expand our capabilities in this area. Currently, third party manufacturers supply substantially all of our clinical requirements for small molecules. If these manufacturers fail to deliver sufficient quantities of such drug candidates in a timely and cost-effective manner, it could adversely affect our small molecule drug discovery efforts. If we decide to manufacture clinical or commercial supplies of any small molecule drugs in our own facilities, we will need to invest substantial additional funds and recruit qualified personnel to develop our small molecule manufacturing capabilities.

 

Adverse safety events can negatively affect our business and stock price.

 

Adverse safety events involving our marketed products may have a negative impact on our commercialization efforts. Later discovery of safety issues with our products that were not known at the time of their approval by the FDA could cause product liability events, additional regulatory scrutiny and requirements for additional labeling, withdrawal of products from the market and the imposition of fines or criminal penalties. Any of these actions could result in, among other things, material write-offs of inventory and impairments of intangible assets, goodwill and fixed assets. In addition, the reporting of adverse safety events involving our products and public rumors about such events could cause our stock price to decline or experience periods of volatility.

 

If we fail to compete effectively, our business and market position would suffer.

 

The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry is intensely competitive. We compete in the marketing and sale of our products, the development of new products and processes, the acquisition of rights to new products with commercial potential and the hiring and retention of personnel. We compete with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies that have a greater number of products on the market and in the product pipeline, greater financial and other resources and other technological or competitive advantages. One or more of our competitors may receive patent protection that dominates, blocks or adversely affects our product development or business, may benefit from significantly greater sales and marketing capabilities, and may develop products that are accepted more widely than ours. The introduction of more efficacious, safer, cheaper, or more convenient alternatives to our products could reduce our revenues and the value of our product development efforts. Potential governmental action in the future could provide a means for competition from developers of follow-on biologics, which could compete on price and differentiation with products that we now or could in the future market.

 

In addition to competing directly with products that are marketed by substantial pharmaceutical competitors, AVONEX, RITUXAN and TYSABRI also face competition from off-label uses of drugs approved for other indications. Some of our current competitors are also working to develop alternative formulations for delivery of their products, which may in the future compete with ours.

 

We depend, to a significant extent, on reimbursement from third party payors and a reduction in the extent of reimbursement could reduce our product sales and revenue.

 

Sales of our products are dependent, in large part, on the availability and extent of reimbursement from government health administration authorities, private health insurers and other organizations. Changes in government regulations or private third-party payors’ reimbursement policies may reduce reimbursement for our products and adversely affect our future results.

 

In the U.S., there have been numerous proposals considered at the federal and state levels for comprehensive reforms of health care and its cost, and it is likely that federal and state legislatures and health agencies will continue to focus on health care reform in the future. Congress has considered legislation to reform the U.S. health care system by expanding health insurance coverage, reducing health care costs and making other changes. While health care reform may increase the number of patients who have insurance coverage for our products, it may also include cost containment measures that adversely affect reimbursement for our products. Congress has also considered legislation to change the Medicare reimbursement system for outpatient drugs, increase the amount of rebates that manufacturers pay for coverage of their drugs by Medicaid programs and facilitate the importation of lower-cost prescription drugs that are marketed outside the U.S. Some states are also considering legislation that would control the prices of drugs, and state Medicaid programs are increasingly requesting manufacturers to pay supplemental rebates and requiring prior authorization by the state program for use of any drug for which supplemental rebates are

not being paid. Managed care organizations continue to seek price discounts and, in some cases, to impose restrictions on the coverage of particular drugs. Government efforts to reduce Medicaid expenses may lead to increased use of managed care organizations by Medicaid programs. This may result in managed care organizations influencing prescription decisions for a larger segment of the population and a corresponding constraint on prices and reimbursement for our products.

 

We encounter similar regulatory and legislative issues in most other countries. In the European Union and some other international markets, the government provides health care at low cost to consumers and regulates pharmaceutical prices, patient eligibility or reimbursement levels to control costs for the government-sponsored health care system. This international system of price regulations may lead to inconsistent prices. Within the European Union and in other countries, the availability of our products in some markets at lower prices undermines our sales in some markets with higher prices. Additionally, certain countries set prices by reference to the prices in other countries where our products are marketed. Thus, our inability to secure adequate prices in a particular country may also impair our ability to obtain acceptable prices in existing and potential new markets. This may create the opportunity for third party cross border trade or influence our decision to sell or not to sell a product, thus affecting our geographic expansion plans.

 

When a new medical product is approved, the availability of government and private reimbursement for that product is uncertain, as is the amount for which that product will be reimbursed. We cannot predict the availability or amount of reimbursement for our product candidates.

 

We depend on collaborators for both product and royalty revenue and the clinical development of future collaboration products, which are outside of our full control.

 

Collaborations between companies on products or programs are a common business practice in the biotechnology industry. Out-licensing typically allows a partner to collect up front payments and future milestone payments, share the costs of clinical development and risk of failure at various points, and access sales and marketing infrastructure and expertise in exchange for certain financial rights to the product or program going to the in-licensing partner. In addition, the obligation of in-licensees to pay royalties or share profits generally terminates upon expiration of the related patents. We have a number of collaborators and partners, and have both in-licensed and out-licensed several products and programs. These collaborations are subject to several risks:

 

 

In addition, under our collaboration agreement with Genentech, the successful development and commercialization of the first anti-CD20 product acquired or developed by Genentech will decrease our percentage of the collaboration’s co-promotion profits.

 

If we do not successfully execute our growth initiatives through the acquisition, partnering and in-licensing of products, technologies or companies, our future performance could be adversely affected.

 

We anticipate growing through internal development projects as well as external opportunities, which include the acquisition, partnering and in-licensing of products, technologies and companies or the entry into strategic alliances and collaborations. The availability of high quality opportunities is limited and we are not certain that we will be able to identify candidates that we and our shareholders consider suitable or complete transactions on terms that are acceptable to us and our shareholders. In order to pursue such opportunities, we may require significant

additional financing, which may not be available to us on favorable terms, if at all. Even if we are able to successfully identify and complete acquisitions, we may not be able to integrate them or take full advantage of them and therefore may not realize the benefits that we expect. In addition, third parties may be reluctant to partner with us due to the uncertainty created by the presence on our Board of Directors of two individuals nominated by an activist shareholder and the possibility that activist shareholders may gain additional representation on or control of our Board of Directors. If we are unsuccessful in our external growth program, we may not be able to grow our business significantly and we may incur asset impairment charges as a result of acquisitions that are not successful.

 

If we fail to comply with the extensive legal and regulatory requirements affecting the health care industry, we could face increased costs, penalties and a loss of business.

 

Our activities, and the activities of our collaborators and third party providers, are subject to extensive government regulation and oversight both in the U.S. and in foreign jurisdictions. The FDA and comparable agencies in other jurisdictions directly regulate many of our most critical business activities, including the conduct of preclinical and clinical studies, product manufacturing, advertising and promotion, product distribution, adverse event reporting and product risk management. States increasingly have been placing greater restrictions on the marketing practices of health care companies. In addition, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have been the target of lawsuits and investigations alleging violations of government regulation, including claims asserting submission of incorrect pricing information, impermissible off-label promotion of pharmaceutical products, payments intended to influence the referral of federal or state health care business, submission of false claims for government reimbursement, antitrust violations, or violations related to environmental matters. Violations of governmental regulation may be punishable by criminal and civil sanctions, including fines and civil monetary penalties and exclusion from participation in government programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. In addition to penalties for violation of laws and regulations, we could be required to repay amounts we received from government payors, or pay additional rebates and interest if we are found to have miscalculated the pricing information we have submitted to the government. Whether or not we have complied with the law, an investigation into alleged unlawful conduct could increase our expenses, damage our reputation, divert management time and attention and adversely affect our business.

 

If we fail to meet the stringent requirements of governmental regulation in the manufacture of our products, we could incur substantial remedial costs and a reduction in sales.

 

We and our third party providers are generally required to maintain compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practice and are subject to inspections by the FDA or comparable agencies in other jurisdictions to confirm such compliance. In addition, the FDA must approve any significant changes to our suppliers or manufacturing methods. If we or our third party service providers cannot demonstrate ongoing current Good Manufacturing Practice compliance, we may be required to withdraw or recall product and interrupt commercial supply of our products. Any delay, interruption or other issues that arise in the manufacture, fill-finish, packaging, or storage of our products as a result of a failure of our facilities or the facilities or operations of third parties to pass any regulatory agency inspection could significantly impair our ability to develop and commercialize our products. Significant noncompliance could also result in the imposition of monetary penalties or other civil or criminal sanctions. This non-compliance could increase our costs, cause us to lose revenue or market share and damage our reputation.

 

Changes in laws affecting the health care industry could adversely affect our revenues and profitability.

 

We and our collaborators and third party providers operate in a highly regulated industry. As a result, governmental actions may adversely affect our business, operations or financial condition, including:

 

 

 

The enactment in the U.S. of health care reform, possible legislation which could ease the entry of competing follow-on biologics in the marketplace, new legislation or implementation of existing statutory provisions on importation of lower-cost competing drugs from other jurisdictions, and legislation on comparative effectiveness research are examples of previously enacted and possible future changes in laws that could adversely affect our business. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 included new authorization for the FDA to require post-market safety monitoring, along with an expanded clinical trials registry and clinical trials results database, and expanded authority for the FDA to impose civil monetary penalties on companies that fail to meet certain commitments.

 

Problems with manufacturing or with inventory planning could result in inventory shortages, product recalls and increased costs.

 

Biologics manufacturing is extremely susceptible to product loss due to contamination, equipment failure, or vendor or operator error. In addition, we may need to close a manufacturing facility for an extended period of time due to microbial, viral or other contamination. Any of these events could result in shipment delays or product recalls, impairing our ability to supply products in existing markets or expand into new markets. In the past, we have taken inventory write-offs and incurred other charges and expenses for products that failed to meet specifications, and we may incur similar charges in the future.

 

We rely solely on our manufacturing facility in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina for the production of TYSABRI. Our global bulk supply of TYSABRI depends on the uninterrupted and efficient operation of this facility, which could be adversely affected by equipment failures, labor shortages (whether as a result of pandemic flu outbreak or otherwise), natural disasters, power failures and numerous other factors. If we are unable to meet demand for TYSABRI for any reason, we would need to rely on a limited number of qualified third party contract manufacturers. We cannot be certain that we could reach agreement on reasonable terms, if at all, with those manufacturers or that the FDA would approve our use of such manufacturers on a timely basis, if at all. Moreover, the transition of our manufacturing process to a third party could take a significant amount of time and involve significant expense.

 

Our investments in properties, including our manufacturing facilities, may not be fully realizable

 

We own or lease real estate primarily consisting of buildings that contain research laboratories, office space, and biologic manufacturing operations, some of which are located in markets that are experiencing high vacancy rates and decreasing property values. If we decide to consolidate or co-locate certain aspects of our business operations, for strategic or other operational reasons, we may dispose of one or more of our properties.

 

Due to reduced expectations of product demand, improved yields on production and other factors, we may not fully utilize our manufacturing facilities at normal levels resulting in idle time at facilities or substantial excess manufacturing capacity. We are always evaluating our current manufacturing strategy, and may pursue alternatives that include delaying the completion of our Denmark facility or disposing of manufacturing facilities.

 

If any of our owned properties are held for sale, or disposed of, we may not realize the full investment in these properties and incur significant impairment charges if the fair value of the properties were determined to be lower than their book value. In addition, if we decide to fully or partially vacate a leased property, we may incur significant cost, including lease termination fees, rent expense in excess of sublease income and impairment of leasehold improvements.

We rely on third parties to provide services in connection with the manufacture of our products and, in some instances, manufacture the product itself.

 

We rely on Genentech for all RITUXAN manufacturing. Genentech relies on a third party to manufacture certain bulk RITUXAN requirements. If Genentech or any third party upon which it relies does not manufacture or fill-finish RITUXAN in sufficient quantities and on a timely and cost-effective basis, or if Genentech or any third party does not obtain and maintain all required manufacturing approvals, our business could be harmed.

 

We also source all of our fill-finish and the majority of our final product storage operations, along with a substantial portion of our packaging operations, to a concentrated group of third party contractors. Any third party we use to fill-finish, package or store our products to be sold in the U.S. must be licensed by the FDA. As a result, alternative third party providers may not be readily available on a timely basis. The manufacture of products and product components, fill-finish, packaging and storage of our products require successful coordination among us and multiple third party providers. Our inability to coordinate these efforts, the lack of capacity available at a third party contractor or any other problems with the operations of these third party contractors could require us to delay shipment of saleable products; recall products previously shipped or impair our ability to supply products at all. This could increase our costs, cause us to lose revenue or market share, diminish our profitability or damage our reputation.

 

Due to the unique manner in which our products are manufactured, we rely on single source providers of several raw materials. We make efforts to qualify new vendors and to develop contingency plans so that production is not impacted by short-term issues associated with single source providers. Nonetheless, our business could be materially impacted by long-term or chronic issues associated with single source providers.

 

Our effective tax rate may fluctuate and we may incur obligations in tax jurisdictions in excess of accrued amounts.

 

As a global biotechnology company, we are subject to taxation in numerous countries, states and other jurisdictions. As a result, our effective tax rate is derived from a combination of applicable tax rates in the various places that we operate. In preparing our financial statements, we estimate the amount of tax that will become payable in each of such places. Our effective tax rate, however, may be different than experienced in the past due to numerous factors, including changes in the mix of our profitability from country to country, the results of audits of our tax filings, changes in accounting for income taxes and changes in tax laws. Any of these factors could cause us to experience an effective tax rate significantly different from previous periods or our current expectations, which could have an effect on our business and results of operations.

 

In addition, our inability to secure or sustain acceptable arrangements with tax authorities and previously enacted or future changes in the tax laws, among other things, may require us to accrue for future tax payments in excess of amounts accrued in our financial statements

 

The Obama administration announced several proposals to reform U.S. tax rules, including proposals that may reduce or eliminate the deferral of U.S. income tax on our unrepatriated earnings, potentially requiring those earnings to be taxed at the U.S. federal income tax rate, reduce or eliminate our ability to claim foreign tax credits, and eliminate various tax deductions until foreign earnings are repatriated to the U.S. Our future reported financial results may be adversely affected by tax rule changes which restrict or eliminate our ability to claim foreign tax credits or deduct expenses attributable to foreign earnings, or otherwise affect the treatment of our unrepatriated earnings.

 

The growth of our business depends on our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and key relationships.

 

The achievement of our commercial, research and development and external growth objectives depends upon our ability to attract and retain qualified scientific, manufacturing, sales and marketing and executive personnel and develop and maintain relationships with qualified clinical researchers and key distributors. Competition for these people and relationships is intense and comes from a variety of sources, including pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities and non-profit research organizations. It may be more difficult for us to attract and retain these people and relationships due to the uncertainty created by the presence on our Board of Directors of two

individuals nominated by an activist shareholder and the possibility that activist shareholders may gain additional representation on or control of our Board of Directors. Our recruitment and retention efforts may also be adversely affected by the announcement that our Chief Executive Officer will retire from that position in June 2010 and the retirement of our President, Research and Development in October 2009. We are currently conducting searches for successors to our Chief Executive Officer and President, Research and Development.

 

Our sales and operations are subject to the risks of doing business internationally.

 

We are increasing our presence in international markets, which subjects us to many risks, such as:

 

 

In addition, our international operations are subject to regulation under U.S. law. For example, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits U.S. companies and their representatives from offering, promising, authorizing or making payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business abroad. In many countries, the health care professionals we regularly interact with may meet the definition of a foreign official for purposes of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Failure to comply with domestic or foreign laws could result in various adverse consequences, including possible delay in approval or refusal to approve a product, recalls, seizures, withdrawal of an approved product from the market, and the imposition of civil or criminal sanctions.

 

The presence of directors nominated by an activist shareholder, and the possibility that activist shareholders may gain additional representation on or control of our Board of Directors could cause uncertainty about the direction of our business.

 

During 2008 and 2009, proxy contests commenced by entities affiliated with Carl Icahn resulted in the 2009 election of two of the Icahn nominees to our Board of Directors. In November 2009, another activist shareholder publicly advocated for certain changes at our company. In January 2010, we received a notice from Icahn Partners and certain of its affiliates nominating three individuals for election to our Board of Directors at the 2010 annual meeting and proposing to amend our bylaws to set the number of directors at twelve. These and other existing or potential shareholders may attempt to gain additional representation on or control of our Board of Directors, the possibility of which may create uncertainty regarding the direction of our business. Perceived uncertainties as to our future direction may result in the loss of potential acquisitions, collaborations or in-licensing opportunities, and may make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified personnel and business partners. In addition, disagreement among our directors about the direction of our business could impair our ability to effectively execute our strategic plan.

 

Our 2008 and 2009 proxy contests were disruptive to our operations and caused us to incur substantial costs. The SEC has recently proposed to give shareholders the ability to include their director nominees and their proposals relating to a shareholder nomination process in company proxy materials, which would make it easier for activists to nominate directors to our Board of Directors. If the SEC implements its proxy access proposal, we may face an increase in the number of shareholder nominees for election to our Board of Directors. Future proxy contests and the presence of additional activist shareholder nominees on our Board of Directors could interfere with our ability to execute our strategic plan, be costly and time-consuming, disrupt our operations and divert the attention of management and our employees.

If we are unable to adequately protect and enforce our intellectual property rights, our competitors may take advantage of our development efforts or our acquired technology.

 

We have filed numerous patent applications in the U.S. and various other countries seeking protection of the processes, products and other inventions originating from our research and development. Patents have been issued on many of these applications. We have also obtained rights to various patents and patent applications under licenses with third parties, which provide for the payment of royalties by us. The ultimate degree of patent protection that will be afforded to biotechnology products and processes, including ours, in the U.S. and in other important markets remains uncertain and is dependent upon the scope of protection decided upon by the patent offices, courts and lawmakers in these countries. Our patents may not afford us substantial protection or commercial benefit. Similarly, our pending patent applications or patent applications licensed from third parties may not ultimately be granted as patents and we may not prevail if patents that have been issued to us are challenged in court. In addition, pending legislation to reform the patent system and court decisions or patent office regulations that place additional restrictions on patent claims or that facilitate patent challenges could also reduce our ability to protect our intellectual property rights. If we cannot prevent others from exploiting our inventions, we will not derive the benefit from them that we currently expect.

 

We also rely upon unpatented trade secrets and other proprietary information, and we cannot assure that others will not independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information and techniques or otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or disclose such technology, or that we can meaningfully protect such rights. We require our employees, consultants, outside scientific collaborators, scientists whose research we sponsor and other advisers to execute confidentiality agreements upon the commencement of employment or consulting relationships with us. These agreements may not provide meaningful protection or adequate remedies for our unpatented proprietary information in the event of use or disclosure of such information.

 

If our products infringe the intellectual property rights of others, we may incur damages and be required to incur the expense of obtaining a license.

 

A substantial number of patents have already been issued to other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. To the extent that valid third party patent rights cover our products or services, we or our strategic collaborators would be required to seek licenses from the holders of these patents in order to manufacture, use or sell these products and services, and payments under them would reduce our profits from these products and services. We are currently unable to predict the extent to which we may wish or be required to acquire rights under such patents and the availability and cost of acquiring such rights, or whether a license to such patents will be available on acceptable terms or at all. There may be patents in the U.S. or in foreign countries or patents issued in the future that are unavailable to license on acceptable terms. Our inability to obtain such licenses may hinder our ability to manufacture and market our products.

 

Uncertainty over intellectual property in the biotechnology industry has been the source of litigation, which is inherently costly and unpredictable.

 

We are aware that others, including various universities and companies working in the biotechnology field, have filed patent applications and have been granted patents in the U.S. and in other countries claiming subject matter potentially useful to our business. Some of those patents and patent applications claim only specific products or methods of making such products, while others claim more general processes or techniques useful or now used in the biotechnology industry. There is considerable uncertainty within the biotechnology industry about the validity, scope and enforceability of many issued patents in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world, and, to date, there is no consistent policy regarding the breadth of claims allowed in biotechnology patents. We cannot currently determine the ultimate scope and validity of patents which may be granted to third parties in the future or which patents might be asserted to be infringed by the manufacture, use and sale of our products.

 

There has been, and we expect that there may continue to be, significant litigation in the industry regarding patents and other intellectual property rights. Litigation and administrative proceedings concerning patents and other intellectual property rights may be protracted, expensive and distracting to management. Competitors may sue us as a way of delaying the introduction of our products. Any litigation, including any interference proceedings to

determine priority of inventions, oppositions to patents in foreign countries or litigation against our partners may be costly and time consuming and could harm our business. We expect that litigation may be necessary in some instances to determine the validity and scope of certain of our proprietary rights. Litigation may be necessary in other instances to determine the validity, scope or non-infringement of certain patent rights claimed by third parties to be pertinent to the manufacture, use or sale of our products. Ultimately, the outcome of such litigation could adversely affect the validity and scope of our patent or other proprietary rights or hinder our ability to manufacture and market our products.

 

Pending and future product liability claims may adversely affect our business and our reputation.

 

The administration of drugs in humans, whether in clinical studies or commercially, carries the inherent risk of product liability claims whether or not the drugs are actually the cause of an injury. Our products or product candidates may cause, or may appear to have caused, injury or dangerous drug interactions, and we may not learn about or understand those effects until the product or product candidate has been administered to patients for a prolonged period of time.

 

We are subject from time to time to lawsuits based on product liability and related claims. We cannot predict with certainty the eventual outcome of any pending or future litigation. We may not be successful in defending ourselves in the litigation and, as a result, our business could be materially harmed. These lawsuits may result in large judgments or settlements against us, any of which could have a negative effect on our financial condition and business if in excess of our insurance coverage. Additionally, lawsuits can be expensive to defend, whether or not they have merit, and the defense of these actions may divert the attention of our management and other resources that would otherwise be engaged in managing our business.

 

Our operating results are subject to significant fluctuations.

 

Our quarterly revenues, expenses and net income (loss) have fluctuated in the past and are likely to fluctuate significantly in the future due to the timing of charges and expenses that we may take. In recent periods, for instance, we have recorded charges that include:

 

 

Our revenues are also subject to foreign exchange rate fluctuations due to the global nature of our operations. We recognize foreign currency gains or losses arising from our operations in the period in which we incur those gains or losses. Although we have foreign currency forward contracts to hedge specific forecasted transactions denominated in foreign currencies, our efforts to reduce currency exchange losses may not be successful. As a result, currency fluctuations among our reporting currency, the U.S. dollar, and the currencies in which we do business will affect our operating results, often in unpredictable ways. Additionally, our net income may fluctuate due to the impact of charges we may be required to take with respect to foreign currency hedge transactions. In particular, we may incur higher charges from hedge ineffectiveness than we expect or from the termination of a hedge relationship.

 

These examples are only illustrative and other risks, including those discussed in these “Risk Factors,” could also cause fluctuations in our reported earnings. In addition, our operating results during any one period do not necessarily suggest the anticipated results of future periods.

Credit and financial market conditions may exacerbate certain risks affecting our business.

 

Sales of our products are dependent on reimbursement from government health administration authorities, private health insurers, distribution partners and other organizations. As a result of credit and financial market conditions, these organizations may be unable to satisfy their reimbursement obligations or may delay payment. In addition, federal and state health authorities may reduce Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, and private insurers may increase their scrutiny of claims. A reduction in the availability or extent of reimbursement could reduce our product sales and revenue.

 

We rely on third parties for several important aspects of our business, including portions of our product manufacturing, royalty revenue, clinical development of future collaboration products, conduct of clinical trials, and raw materials. Such third parties may be unable to satisfy their commitments to us due to tightening of global credit from time to time, which would adversely affect our business.

 

Our portfolio of marketable securities is significant and subject to market, interest and credit risk that may reduce its value.

 

We maintain a significant portfolio of marketable securities. Changes in the value of this portfolio could adversely affect our earnings. In particular, the value of our investments may decline due to increases in interest rates, downgrades in the corporate bonds and other securities included in our portfolio, instability in the global financial markets that reduces the liquidity of securities included in our portfolio, declines in the value of collateral underlying the mortgage and asset-backed securities included in our portfolio, and other factors. Each of these events may cause us to record charges to reduce the carrying value of our investment portfolio or sell investments for less than our acquisition cost. Although we attempt to mitigate these risks by investing in high quality securities and continuously monitoring our portfolio’s overall risk profile, the value of our investments may nevertheless decline.

 

Our level of indebtedness could adversely affect our business and limit our ability to plan for or respond to changes in our business.

 

As of December 31, 2009, we had $1.1 billion of outstanding indebtedness, and we may incur additional debt in the future. Our level of indebtedness could adversely affect our business by, among other things:

 

 

Our business involves environmental risks, which include the cost of compliance and the risk of contamination or injury.

 

Our business and the business of several of our strategic partners, including Genentech and Elan, involves the controlled use of hazardous materials, chemicals, biologics and radioactive compounds. Although we believe that our safety procedures for handling and disposing of such materials comply with state and federal standards, there will always be the risk of accidental contamination or injury. By law, radioactive materials may only be disposed of at state-approved facilities. We currently store radioactive materials from our California laboratory on-site because the approval of a disposal site in California for all California-based companies has been delayed indefinitely. If and when a disposal site is approved, we may incur substantial costs related to the disposal of these materials. If we were to become liable for an accident, or if we were to suffer an extended facility shutdown, we could incur significant costs, damages and penalties that could harm our business. Biologics manufacturing also requires permits from government agencies for water supply and wastewater discharge. If we do not obtain appropriate permits, or permits for sufficient quantities of water and wastewater, we could incur significant costs and limits on our manufacturing volumes that could harm our business.

Several aspects of our corporate governance and our collaboration agreements may discourage a third party from attempting to acquire us.

 

Several factors might discourage a takeover attempt that could be viewed as beneficial to shareholders who wish to receive a premium for their shares from a potential bidder. For example:

 

 

 

None.

 

Massachusetts

 

Our principal executive offices are located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In Cambridge, we own approximately 525,000 square feet of real estate space, consisting of a building that houses a research laboratory, office space and a cogeneration plant which total approximately 280,000 square feet and an approximately 245,000 square foot building that contains research, development and quality laboratories.

 

We lease a total of approximately 450,000 square feet, which includes a 70,000 square foot biologics manufacturing facility and additional laboratory and office space of 125,000 square feet and 255,000 square feet, respectively. In addition, we lease approximately 36,000 square feet of warehouse space in Somerville, Massachusetts, approximately 105,000 square feet of office space in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and approximately 25,000 square feet of office and laboratory space in Waltham, Massachusetts.

 

In November 2008, we executed a fifteen year lease on a 356,000 square foot office building in Weston, Massachusetts, which will serve as the future location of our general and administrative offices with a planned occupancy around mid-year 2010.

 

The expiration dates for our leased sites in Massachusetts range from 2010 to 2025.

 

California

 

In San Diego, California, we own approximately 43 acres of land upon which we have our oncology research and development campus. The campus, which totals approximately 355,000 square feet, primarily consists of five interconnected buildings housing laboratory and office space.

 

North Carolina

 

In Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, we own approximately 550,000 square feet of real estate space. This includes a biologics manufacturing facility of approximately 105,000 square feet, a large scale manufacturing plant of approximately 175,000 square feet, a warehouse comprising approximately 60,000 square feet, a large-scale purification facility of approximately 43,000 square feet, as well as approximately 167,000 square feet of laboratory and office space. We manufacture bulk AVONEX, TYSABRI and other products in our pipeline at this facility. In addition, we lease approximately 57,000 square feet of office space in Durham, North Carolina.

 

Denmark

 

We own approximately 60 acres of land in Hillerød, Denmark. We are in the final stages of constructing a large-scale biologics manufacturing facility of approximately 215,000 square feet in Hillerød, Denmark to be used to manufacture large molecule products. An administrative building of approximately 50,000 square feet, label and packaging facility of approximately 65,000 square feet, warehouse, utilities and support space of approximately 135,000 square feet, and laboratory facility of approximately 50,000 square feet are currently in use. Additional information about this facility is set forth in the “Business — Manufacturing and Raw Materials” section of this report.

 

Other International

 

We lease office and laboratory space in Zug, Switzerland, our international headquarters, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Denmark, and numerous other countries. The expiration dates for our international leased sites range from 2010 to 2023.

 

 

Please refer to Note 19, Litigation to our Consolidated Financial Statements of this report, which is incorporated into this item by reference.

 

 

None.

 

 

Market Information

 

Our common stock trades on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “BIIB.” The following table shows the high and low sales price for our common stock as reported by The NASDAQ Global Select Market for each quarter in the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008:

 

 

Holders

 

As of February 5, 2010, there were approximately 1,097 stockholders of record of our common stock. In addition, as of February 5, 2010, 270 stockholders of record of Biogen, Inc. common stock have yet to exchange their shares of Biogen, Inc. common stock for our common stock as contemplated by the merger of Biogen, Inc. and IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corporation in November 2003.

 

Dividends

 

We have not paid cash dividends since our inception. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the near term.

 

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

The following table summarizes our common stock repurchase activity during the fourth quarter of 2009:

 

 

 

 

 

Stock Performance Graph

 

The graph below compares the five-year cumulative total stockholder return on our common stock, the S&P 500 Index and the Nasdaq Pharmaceutical Index, assuming the investment of $100.00 on December 31, 2004 with dividends being reinvested. The stock price performance in the graph below is not necessarily indicative of future price performance.

 

 

The following financial data should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes beginning on page F-1 of this report.

 

BIOGEN IDEC INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

 

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes beginning on page F-1 of this report.

 

Executive Summary

 

Introduction

 

Biogen Idec is a global biotechnology company that creates new standards of care in therapeutic areas with high unmet medical needs. Our business strategy is focused on discovering and developing first-in-class or best-in-class products that we can deliver to specialty markets globally. Patients around the world benefit from Biogen Idec’s significant products that address medical needs in the areas of neurology, oncology and immunology.

 

In the near term, we are dependent on continued sales of AVONEX, RITUXAN and TYSABRI to drive our revenue growth. In the longer term, our revenue growth is also dependent on the successful clinical development, regulatory approval and launch of new commercial products.

 

As part of our ongoing research and development efforts, we have incurred significant expenditures related to conducting clinical studies to develop new pharmaceutical products and explore the utility of our existing products in treating disorders beyond those currently approved in their labels. We continue to focus our research and development efforts within our core and emergent areas of neurology, oncology, immunology, cardiopulmonary and hemophilia.

Financial Highlights

 

The following table is a summary of financial results achieved:

 

 

As described below under Results of Operations, our operating results for the year ended December 31, 2009, were primarily driven by:

 

 

In addition to the strong operating results achieved, we generated $1,074.9 million of net cash flows from operations during 2009, which were primarily driven by increases in our earnings.

 

Cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled approximately $2,457.8 million as of December 31, 2009.

 

Business Highlights

 

 

Results of Operations

 

Revenues

 

Revenues are summarized as follows:

 

 

Product Revenues

 

Product revenues are summarized as follows:

 

 

AVONEX

 

Revenues from AVONEX are summarized as follows:

 

 

For 2009 compared to 2008, as well as for 2008 compared to 2007, the increase in U.S. AVONEX revenue was due to price increases, offset by decreased patient demand. Decreased commercial demand resulted in a 7.6% and a 6.0% decline in U.S. AVONEX sales volume in 2009 and 2008, respectively, over their prior year comparative periods. In addition, during 2009, we experienced higher participation in our Access Program, which provides free product to eligible patients.

 

For 2009 compared to 2008, the decrease in rest of world AVONEX revenue was primarily due to the negative impact of foreign exchange rate changes resulting from the strengthening of the U.S. dollar against relevant foreign currencies, primarily the Euro, offset by increased patient demand and price increases in some countries. For 2008 compared to 2007, rest of world sales of AVONEX increased due to increased patient demand, the impact of foreign exchange rate changes and the establishment of additional direct market affiliates. Increased commercial demand

resulted in increases of 6.3% and 8.6% in rest of world AVONEX sales volume in 2009 and 2008, respectively, over their prior year comparative periods.

 

AVONEX rest of world revenues for 2009, 2008 and 2007 also include losses of $39.5 million, $8.5 million and $13.1 million, respectively, recognized in relation to the settlement of certain cash flow hedge instruments.

 

Continued growth of AVONEX revenue is primarily dependent on maintaining AVONEX’s position as one of the most prescribed MS therapies in the world. We expect to face increasing competition in the MS marketplace in both the U.S. and rest of world from existing and new MS treatments, including oral and other alternative formulations developed by our competitors, the continued growth of TYSABRI and the commercialization of our other pipeline product candidates, which may have a continued negative impact on the unit sales of AVONEX as well as increasing price pressure. We continue to generate data showing AVONEX to be an effective and safe choice for MS patients and physicians.

 

TYSABRI

 

We collaborate with Elan Pharma International, Ltd (Elan) an affiliate of Elan Corporation, plc, on the development and commercialization of TYSABRI. Please read Note 17, Collaborations to our Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of this collaboration.

 

In the U.S., we sell TYSABRI to Elan who sells the product to third party distributors. Our sales price to Elan in the U.S. is set prior to the beginning of each quarterly period to effect an approximate equal sharing of the gross margin on sales in the U.S. between Elan and us. We recognize revenue for sales of TYSABRI in the U.S. upon Elan’s shipment of the product to the third party distributors. In the rest of world markets, we are responsible for distributing TYSABRI to customers and are primarily responsible for all operating activities. We recognize revenue for sales of TYSABRI in the rest of world at the time of product delivery to our customers.

 

Revenues from TYSABRI include (1) our share of net U.S. sales of TYSABRI from Elan to third-party customers; (2) revenue on sales of TYSABRI in rest of world markets; (3) amortization of deferred revenue amounts related to Elan milestone payments made to us; and (4) gains or losses recognized in relation to the settlement of foreign currency forward contracts that were entered into to hedge forecasted revenues.

 

Revenues from TYSABRI are summarized as follows:

 

 

For 2009 compared to 2008, as well as for 2008 compared to 2007, the increase in U.S. TYSABRI revenue was due to the continued increase in the number of patients using TYSABRI in the U.S. Increased commercial demand resulted in increases of 16.3% and 88.7% in U.S. TYSABRI sales volume for 2009 and 2008, respectively, over their prior year comparative periods. Net sales of TYSABRI from our collaboration partner, Elan, to third-party customers in the U.S. for each of the years ended December 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007 totaled $508.5 million,  $421.6 million and $217.4 million, respectively.

 

For 2009 compared to 2008, as well as for 2008 compared to 2007, the increase in rest of world TYSABRI revenue was due to the continued increase in the number of patients using TYSABRI in our rest of world markets. Increased commercial demand resulted in increases of 49.0% and 203.8% in U.S. TYSABRI sales volume for 2009 and 2008, respectively, over their prior year comparative periods. The increase in TYSABRI revenues in 2009 was offset by the negative impact of foreign currency exchange rate changes resulting from the strengthening of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies, primarily the Euro.

TYSABRI rest of world revenues for 2009 also include losses of $10.1 million recognized in relation to the settlement of certain cash flow hedge instruments; no such losses were recognized in 2008 or 2007 as we did not designate hedges against TYSABRI rest of world revenues in those periods.

 

In 2009 and 2008, we recognized $7.1 million and $1.5 million respectively of product revenue related to the amortization of the Elan milestone payments.

 

Since we reintroduced TYSABRI to the market in July 2006, some patients taking TYSABRI have been diagnosed with PML, a rare but serious brain infection described in the TYSABRI label. In November 2009, the U.S. prescribing information for TYSABRI was revised to reflect that the risk of PML increases with longer treatment duration, and for patients treated for 24 to 36 months is generally similar to the rates seen in clinical trials. The revised label also reflects that there is limited experience beyond three years of treatment. In January 2010, the EMA recommended updating the TYSABRI label in the E.U. to reflect that the risk of PML increases after two years of therapy. The EMA also recommended that patients have regular MRI scans and be reinformed of the risk of PML after two years of therapy.

 

We continue to monitor the growth of TYSABRI unit sales, which may be further impacted by the updated prescribing information. We continue to research and develop protocols that may reduce risk and improve outcomes of PML in patients being treated with TYSABRI. We are working to identify patient or viral characteristics which contribute to the risk of developing PML, including the presence of asymptomatic JC virus infection with a serological assay for antibodies against the JC virus. Our efforts to improve management by physicians of PML and to improve patient outcomes have included researching plasma exchange to more rapidly remove TYSABRI from a patient, and drug screening that identified mefloquine as an anti-JC virus drug candidate.

 

Other Product Revenues

 

Other product revenues represent revenues derived from FUMADERM, ZEVALIN and AMEVIVE and are summarized as follows:

 

 

Unconsolidated Joint Business Revenues

 

We collaborate with Genentech on the development and commercialization of RITUXAN. Please read Note 17, Collaborations to our Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of this collaboration.

 

The majority of RITUXAN unit sales are for use in oncology as a treatment for certain types of B-cell NHL. We believe there is opportunity for RITUXAN unit sales growth in the immunology setting, where RITUXAN is used as a treatment for certain types of RA. Additional immunology indications for RITUXAN that we are investigating include ANCA-associated vasculitis.

 

Revenues from unconsolidated joint business consist of (1) our share of pretax co-promotion profits in the U.S.; (2) reimbursement of our selling and development expense in the U.S.; and (3) revenue on sales of RITUXAN in the rest of world, which consist of our share of pretax co-promotion profits in Canada and royalty revenue on sales of RITUXAN outside the U.S. and Canada by F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. (Roche) and its sublicensees. Pre-tax co-promotion profits are calculated and paid to us by Genentech in the U.S. and by Roche in Canada. Pre-tax co-promotion profits consist of U.S. and Canadian sales of RITUXAN to third-party customers net of discounts and allowances less the cost to manufacture RITUXAN, third-party royalty expenses, distribution, selling and marketing, and joint development expenses incurred by Genentech, Roche and us.

The following table provides a summary of revenues from unconsolidated joint business:

 

 

Biogen Idec’s Share of Co-Promotion Profits in the U.S.

 

The following table provides a summary of amounts comprising our share of co-promotion profits in the U.S.:

 

 

For 2009 compared to 2008, the increase in U.S. RITUXAN product revenue on sales recorded by Genentech resulted from continued growth for treatment of B-cell NHL and RA, and price increases. For 2008 compared to 2007 the increase in U.S. RITUXAN product revenue was primarily due to increased unit sales in treatments of B-cell NHL, CLL (an unapproved and unpromoted use of RITUXAN) and RA, and price increases. Collaboration costs and expenses for 2009 as compared to 2008 decreased primarily due to higher costs incurred in development of RITUXAN for use in other indications during 2008.

 

Under our collaboration agreement, our current pretax co-promotion profit-sharing formula, which resets annually, provides for a 30% share of co-promotion profits on the first $50.0 million of co-promotion operating profit with our share increasing to 40% if co-promotion operating profits exceed $50.0 million. In 2009, 2008, and 2007, the 40% threshold was met during the first quarter.

 

In addition, under our collaboration agreement, we have rights to collaborate with Genentech on the development and commercialization of (1) anti-CD20 products that Genentech acquires or develops, which we refer to as New Anti-CD20 Products, and (2) anti-CD20 products that Genentech licenses from a third party, which we refer to as Third Party Anti-CD20 Products. Our collaboration rights for New Anti-CD20 Products are limited to the U.S. and our collaboration rights for Third Party Anti-CD20 Products are dependent upon Genentech’s underlying license rights. There is only one New Anti-CD20 Product, ocrelizumab, and only one Third Party Anti-CD20 Product, GA101.

 

Our agreement with Genentech also provides that the successful development and commercialization of the first New Anti-CD20 Product will decrease our percentage of co-promotion profits of the collaboration. Please read Note 17, Collaborations to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding the pretax co-promotion profit sharing formula for RITUXAN and New Anti-CD20 Products sold by us and Genentech following the approval date of the first New Anti-CD20 Product. We will participate in Third Party Anti-CD20 Products on similar financial terms as for ocrelizumab.

Reimbursement of Selling and Development Expense in the U.S.

 

As discussed within Note 17, Collaborations to our Consolidated Financial Statements, Genentech incurs the majority of continuing development costs for RITUXAN. Expenses incurred by Genentech in the development of RITUXAN are not recorded as research and development expense, but rather reduce our share of co-promotion profits recorded as a component of unconsolidated joint business revenue.

 

Selling and development expenses, incurred by us in the U.S. and reimbursed by Genentech, increased in 2009 as compared 2008 due to an increase in sales and marketing expense associated with CLL and legal fees.

 

The increase in selling and development expenses in 2008 compared to 2007 was primarily due to development costs we incurred related to the development of RITUXAN in RA.

 

Revenue on Sales of RITUXAN in the Rest of World

 

We record our royalty revenue and co-promotion profit revenue on sales of RITUXAN in the rest of world on a cash basis. Revenues on sales of RITUXAN in the rest of world decreased in 2009 compared to 2008 primarily due to royalty expirations in certain of these markets and the negative impact of foreign exchange rate changes.

 

Revenues on sales of RITUXAN in the rest of world increased in 2008 compared to 2007 due to several factors, including increased market penetration in NHL and increased use in RA.

 

The royalty period for sales in the rest of world with respect to all products is 11 years from the first commercial sale of such product on a country-by-country basis. For the majority of European countries, the first commercial sale of RITUXAN occurred in the second half of 1998. Specifically, the royalty periods with respect to sales in France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom expired in 2009. The royalty period with respect to sales in Italy will expire in 2010. The royalty periods with respect to sales in other countries will subsequently expire through 2012. As a result of these expirations, we expect royalty revenues derived from sales of RITUXAN in the rest of world to continue to decline in future years.

 

Other Revenues

 

Our product line previously included ZEVALIN (ibritumomab tiuxetan) which is part of a treatment regimen for certain B-cell NHL, and AMEVIVE (alefacept), a treatment for certain moderate to severe psoriasis. We have sold or exclusively licensed the rights to these products to third parties and continue to receive supply agreement revenues based on those products which are included in corporate partner revenues. We also receive royalties on sales by our licensees of a number of other products under patents that we own.

 

Other revenues are summarized as follows:

 

 

Royalty Revenues

 

We receive royalties on sales by our licensees of products covered under patents that we own. Sales of licensed products could vary significantly due to competition, manufacturing difficulties and other factors that are not within our control. In addition, the expiration or invalidation of any underlying patents could reduce or eliminate the royalty revenues derived from such patents.

 

The increase in royalty revenues in 2009 as compared to 2008, as well as in 2008 as compared to 2007, was primarily due to increased sales of ANGIOMAX (bivalirudin) licensed to The Medicines Company (TMC) offset by a decline in royalties from sales of other licensed product and the expiration of certain contracts and license agreements.

Our most significant source of royalty revenue is derived from sales of ANGIOMAX by TMC. TMC sells ANGIOMAX in the U.S., Europe, Canada, and Latin America for use as an anticoagulant in combination with aspirin in patients with unstable angina undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Royalty revenues related to the sales of ANGIOMAX are recognized in an amount equal to the level of net sales achieved during a calendar year multiplied by the royalty rate in effect for that tier under our agreement with TMC. The royalty rate increases based upon which tier of total net sales are earned in any calendar year. The increased royalty rate is applied retroactively to the first dollar of net sales achieved during the year. This formula has the effect of increasing the amount of royalty revenue to be recognized in later quarters. Accordingly, an adjustment is recorded in the period in which an increase in royalty rate has been achieved.

 

Under the terms of our agreement, TMC is obligated to pay us royalties earned, on a country-by-country basis, until the later of (1) twelve years from the date of the first commercial sale of ANGIOMAX in such country and (2) the date upon which the product is no longer covered by a patent in such country. The annual royalty rate is reduced by a specified percentage in any country where the product is no longer covered by a patent and where sales have been reduced to a certain volume-based market share. TMC began selling ANGIOMAX in the U.S. in January 2001. The principal U.S. patent that covers ANGIOMAX expires in March 2010. The FDA has granted TMC an additional period of marketing exclusivity for ANGIOMAX in order to investigate its use in pediatric patients. This period expires in September 2010. In the event that third parties sell products comparable to ANGIOMAX after the period of marketing exclusivity expires, we would expect a significant decrease in royalty revenues due to lower royalty rates and increased competition.

 

Provisions for Discounts and Allowances

 

Revenues from product sales are recorded net of applicable allowances for trade term discounts, wholesaler incentives, Medicaid rebates, Veterans Administration (VA) rebates, managed care rebates, product returns, and other applicable allowances. Reserves established for these discounts and allowances are classified as reductions of accounts receivable (if the amount is payable to our customer) or a liability (if the amount is payable to a party other than our customer). For 2009 compared to 2008, as well as 2008 compared to 2007, the increases in total allowances were primarily due to price increases.

 

Our product revenue reserves are based on estimates of the amounts earned or to be claimed on the related sales. These estimates take into consideration our historical experience, current contractual requirements, statutory requirements, specific known market events and trends and forecasted customer buying patterns. If actual results vary, we may need to adjust these estimates, which could have an effect on earnings in the period of the adjustment.

 

Reserves for product returns are recorded in the period the related revenue is recognized, resulting in a reduction to product sales. The majority of wholesaler returns are due to product expiration. Expired product return reserves are estimated through a comparison of historical return data, as adjusted, to their related sales on a production lot basis. Historical rates of return are determined for each product and are adjusted for known or expected changes in the marketplace specific to each product.

 

Reserves for discounts, contractual adjustments and returns that reduced gross product revenues were as follows:

 

Discount reserves include trade term discounts and wholesaler incentives. For 2009 compared to 2008, as well as for 2008 compared to 2007, the increase in discounts was primarily driven by increases in trade term discounts and wholesaler incentives as a result of price increases.

 

Contractual adjustment reserves relate to Medicaid, VA and managed care rebates and other applicable allowances. For 2009 compared to 2008, as well as for 2008 compared to 2007, contractual adjustments increased primarily due to the impact of higher reserves for managed care (associated with higher level of activity with respect to rebates and price increases in the U.S.) and Medicaid and VA programs (associated with price increases in the U.S.).

 

Product return reserves are established for returns made by wholesalers. In accordance with contractual terms, wholesalers are permitted to return product for reasons such as damaged or expired product. We also accept returns from our patients for various reasons. For 2009 compared to 2008, return reserves remained relatively unchanged. For 2008 compared to 2007, return reserves decreased primarily due to a decrease in estimated product returns based on historical trends.

 

Costs and Expenses

 

A summary of total costs and expenses is as follows:

 

 

Cost of Sales, Excluding Amortization of Acquired Intangible Assets (Cost of Sales)

 

Components of cost of sales are summarized as follows: