Company Watch

Biogen Idec opens first office in India

Our News Bureau - New Delhi

Biogen Idec has officially opened an office in Gurgaon. Dr Gunther Winkler, Senior Vice-President, Strategic Initiatives, attended the event as part of his visit to India. The Gurgaon facility will serve as the headquarters of the company's recently established wholly-owned Indian subsidiary Biogen Idec Biotech India. The India entity is headed by Dr Alpna Seth, a long-time veteran of the industry, who has been with Biogen in the US for the past nine years in various leadership roles spanning R&D to commercial.

Speaking about the entry into India, James Mullen, President and CEO, Biogen said, "Having a presence in India is part of the long-term strategy and vision for Biogen Idec. We expect to make significant investments in the country over the next few years and develop partnerships and collaborations. With this office we hope to better understand the opportunities here and eventually meet the needs of Indian patients."

Dr Seth added, "India enjoys several benefits as a centre of drug development, including a vast scientific talent pool, emerging biologics capabilities and particularly strong competencies in small molecules and new chemical entities. We look forward to not only forging R&D relationships with Indian companies, investigators and academic institutions, but also integrating India into Biogen's global clinical development plans."

Two blockbuster drugs-Avonex and Mab Thera-lead Biogen's line up, and the company currently has more than 20 products in clinical development addressing a variety of medical needs.