Celgene

pharmafile | January 1, 2010 | Feature | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing |  Abraxane, Celgene, Revlimid, Thalidomide 

Founded in 1986, Celgene was created as a spin off from the Celanese Corporation.

Two years later, the company received FDA approval to market Thalomid for the acute treatment of the cutaneous manifestations of moderate to erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL), a form of leprosy.

Thalodmid is of course Thalidomide, the sedative drug launched in the 1960s which became one of the most notorious medicines ever, after it caused serious birth defects in unborn children of women prescribed it to treat morning sickness.

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This infamy did not, however, stand in the way of the drug’s potential to treat other conditions, and rigorous controls to guarantee that pregnant woman do not take the drug are now in place.

In May 2006, the FDA granted accelerated approval for thalidomide in combination with dexamethasone for the treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, and two years later gained EU approval.

The EMEA approved Celgene’s orphan drug Revlimid (lenalidomide) in 2007. It is used in combination with standard therapy as a treatment for multiple myeloma sufferers who have received at least one prior therapy.

In 2009, the company earned a total of $2.56 billion in annual revenues from its portfolio, making it a rising star in the world of small-medium pharma.

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