Alexion Pharmaceuticals
Encyclopedia
Alexion Pharmaceuticals is the original developer and distributor of Soliris
, a drug used in treating the ultra-rare disorders Hemolytic-uremic syndrome
and Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
(PNH). In a recent study Soliris was noted for its effectiveness in altering the natural course of PNH (less symptoms, fewer complications). The company is also involved in research regarding the immunue system and how it can be stopped from attacking healthy tissue (done by inhibiting terminal complements
). The rare disease that it treats forms blood clots in small blood vessels throughout the body, causing widespread damage to organs.
Soliris, the company's sole marketed drug, has been approved for use in the EU and Japan however its availability in other places like the USA and Canada is limited due to marketing restrictions and lack of ensured access (in Canada access to the drug is mostly through private clinics though groups like the Canadian Association of PNH Patients are lobbying to change that).
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On April 4, 2011 Alexion became a member of the Nasdaq-100, a group composed of the 100 largest non-financial stocks traded on the Nasdaq; with a market value of USD 8.5 billion it replaced Genzyme Corporation
.
producing hemolytic-uremic syndrome
, caused by the E coli infection EHEC which leads to blood infection induced kidney failure, reached epidemic proportions in 2010. Initially, Soliris was considered a treatment option due to its effectiveness in treating atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, an illness similar to the specific type of E coli afflicting people in Germany. Alexion's German subsidiary has been providing those patients with Soliris free of charge.
officially approved the use of Soliris as a treatment for atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome in both adults and children. More than half of people with aHUS end up dieing of it as a result of damage to vital organs/organ failure (usually involving the kidneys) caused by uncontrolled complement activation. The FDA's decision to grant approval received a positive response from the medical community with the director of Pediatric Nephrology at Atlanta's Children's hospital calling it "the most important advance that has been made for patients and families with this disease".
Eculizumab
Eculizumab is a monoclonal antibody directed against the complement protein C5. Eculizumab has been shown to be effective in treating paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria , a rare and sometimes life threatening disease of the blood, and is approved for this indication.Eculizumab is a recombinant...
, a drug used in treating the ultra-rare disorders Hemolytic-uremic syndrome
Hemolytic-uremic syndrome
Hemolytic-uremic syndrome , abbreviated HUS, is a disease characterized by hemolytic anemia, acute renal failure and a low platelet count . It predominantly, but not exclusively, affects children. Most cases are preceded by an episode of diarrhea caused by E. coli O157:H7, which is acquired as a...
and Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria , sometimes referred to as Marchiafava-Micheli syndrome, is a rare, acquired, potentially life-threatening disease of the blood characterised by complement-induced intravascular hemolytic anemia , red urine and thrombosis...
(PNH). In a recent study Soliris was noted for its effectiveness in altering the natural course of PNH (less symptoms, fewer complications). The company is also involved in research regarding the immunue system and how it can be stopped from attacking healthy tissue (done by inhibiting terminal complements
Complement membrane attack complex
The membrane attack complex is typically formed on the surface of intruding pathogenic bacterial cells as a result of the activation of the alternative pathway of the complement system, and it is one of the effector proteins of the immune system. The membrane-attack complex forms transmembrane...
). The rare disease that it treats forms blood clots in small blood vessels throughout the body, causing widespread damage to organs.
Soliris, the company's sole marketed drug, has been approved for use in the EU and Japan however its availability in other places like the USA and Canada is limited due to marketing restrictions and lack of ensured access (in Canada access to the drug is mostly through private clinics though groups like the Canadian Association of PNH Patients are lobbying to change that).
History
Founded in 1992 in New Haven, Connecticut (at a place called Science Park). In 2000 it paid USD 41 million in Alexion stock for Proliferon Inc., a San Diego, California based development-stage biopharmaceutical firm that has since been renamed Alexion Antibody Technologies Inc. Alexion CEO at the time (Leonard Bell) cited Proliferon's ability to produce an 'unlimited amount of antibodies' as the reason for the acquisition (also referred to as a merger). At the time Proliferon's annual revenue was about $2.5 million and its assets were valued at $2.1 million Also that year Alexion moved its headquarters from New Haven to Cheshire, ConnecticutCheshire, Connecticut
Cheshire is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 28,543 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Connecticut is located in Cheshire. In 2009 Cheshire was ranked 72 in Money Magazine's 100 Best Places to Live.Likewise, in 2011 Cheshire was ranked 73 in...
.
On April 4, 2011 Alexion became a member of the Nasdaq-100, a group composed of the 100 largest non-financial stocks traded on the Nasdaq; with a market value of USD 8.5 billion it replaced Genzyme Corporation
Genzyme
Genzyme Corporation is a fully owned subsidiary of Sanofi-Aventis. Before its acquisition, Genzyme was an American biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2010, Genzyme was the world’s third-largest biotechnology company, employing more than 11,000 people around the world...
.
Alexion donates use of Soliris to sufferers of E coli in Germany
In Germany, the Shiga toxinShiga toxin
Shiga toxins are a family of related toxins with two major groups, Stx1 and Stx2, whose genes are considered to be part of the genome of lambdoid prophages. The toxins are named for Kiyoshi Shiga, who first described the bacterial origin of dysentery caused by Shigella dysenteriae. The most common...
producing hemolytic-uremic syndrome
Hemolytic-uremic syndrome
Hemolytic-uremic syndrome , abbreviated HUS, is a disease characterized by hemolytic anemia, acute renal failure and a low platelet count . It predominantly, but not exclusively, affects children. Most cases are preceded by an episode of diarrhea caused by E. coli O157:H7, which is acquired as a...
, caused by the E coli infection EHEC which leads to blood infection induced kidney failure, reached epidemic proportions in 2010. Initially, Soliris was considered a treatment option due to its effectiveness in treating atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, an illness similar to the specific type of E coli afflicting people in Germany. Alexion's German subsidiary has been providing those patients with Soliris free of charge.
Soliris receives FDA approval to treat children and adults with aHUS
On September 23, 2011 it was announced that the US Food and Drug AdministrationFood and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
officially approved the use of Soliris as a treatment for atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome in both adults and children. More than half of people with aHUS end up dieing of it as a result of damage to vital organs/organ failure (usually involving the kidneys) caused by uncontrolled complement activation. The FDA's decision to grant approval received a positive response from the medical community with the director of Pediatric Nephrology at Atlanta's Children's hospital calling it "the most important advance that has been made for patients and families with this disease".