Biogen Inc., founded in California in 1985 as IDEC Pharmaceuticals, Inc., was re-registered as a Delaware corporation in 1997. In 2003, Biogen, Inc., was acquired and the company name was changed to Biogen Idec Inc. The company is a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and delivering innovative therapies for people with serious and complex diseases. The company has an extensive multiple sclerosis (MS) drug portfolio, launched the first approved drug for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), co-developed a treatment that addresses the defining pathology of Alzheimer's disease, and launched the first approved therapy for the genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Biogen also markets the first and only drug approved for the treatment of Friedreich's ataxia (FA) in adults and adolescents aged 16 years and older. Its R&D efforts focus on neurology, specialized immunology and rare diseases, and are supported by internal projects, collaborations and acquisitions. The company commercializes biologics and biosimilars and maintains strategic partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies to advance its product portfolio.
