Cambridge, MA-based Biogen Idec and its Irish partner, Elan, said today their multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri is being taken by more than 31,800 patients worldwide, and no new cases of the brain infection called PML have been detected since the drug was brought back to the U.S. market two years ago. Biogen (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) is counting on continued growth from Tysabri, and has estimated 100,000 patients will be on the drug by the end of 2010, which would generate $2.8 billion in annual sales at current prices. Biogen’s stock climbed $4.42, or 6.6 percent, to $71.27 at 12:23 pm Eastern time.
Author: Luke Timmerman
Luke is an award-winning journalist specializing in life sciences. He has served as national biotechnology editor for Xconomy and national biotechnology reporter for Bloomberg News. Luke got started covering life sciences at The Seattle Times, where he was the lead reporter on an investigation of doctors who leaked confidential information about clinical trials to investors. The story won the Scripps Howard National Journalism Award and several other national prizes. Luke holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and during the 2005-2006 academic year, he was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT.
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