Post by icemandios on Jan 27, 2022 3:49:56 GMT
January 26, 2022 01:35 PM EST Pharma
A senior Biogen commercial exec exits Alzheimer's unit amid exodus as Aduhelm woes mount
John Carroll
Editor & Founder
One of Biogen’s senior commercial execs on the Alzheimer’s side of the business is exiting the troubled company after a series of setbacks suffered during a failed attempt to launch their controversial drug Aduhelm.
Johanna Rossell, a Novartis commercial vet who had been Biogen’s global commercial lead for the Alzheimer’s business unit, completed her last day of work at Biogen yesterday, according to a company spokesperson. Enzyvant — a Roivant startup acquired by Sumitomo Dainippon — announced that she had joined them as their new commercial chief earlier today. She’s one of 3 Novartis vets that just landed new roles running commercial ops in biotech.
Noted a Biogen spokesperson: “We don’t normally comment on personnel moves, especially at this level.”
Rossell’s departure, though, comes amid a raft of reports from insiders that the company has been planning massive layoffs following the failure of Aduhelm’s launch — once widely expected to be an instant blockbuster. Instead of being greeted with enthusiasm, though, experts scorned the drug and the FDA’s decision to give it an accelerated approval on notoriously mixed data, with no clear evidence of efficacy and deep concerns about safety.
That backlash limited sales to a pittance in its first full quarter. The crisis only deepened, however, as Europe turned thumbs down on the drug and Medicare — at least initially — opted to cover the drug for only a tiny group of patients enrolled in clinical studies. Biogen is fighting that move fiercely, as Zach Brennan has reported extensively.
A source told Endpoints in November, “we are losing people left and right,” while noting that mid-level managers, in particular, were hitting the exits. And when the company said it was cutting Aduhelm’s price in half about a month ago, Biogen also hinted at more layoffs coming soon, with the goal of cutting $500 million annually.
A senior Biogen commercial exec exits Alzheimer's unit amid exodus as Aduhelm woes mount
John Carroll
Editor & Founder
One of Biogen’s senior commercial execs on the Alzheimer’s side of the business is exiting the troubled company after a series of setbacks suffered during a failed attempt to launch their controversial drug Aduhelm.
Johanna Rossell, a Novartis commercial vet who had been Biogen’s global commercial lead for the Alzheimer’s business unit, completed her last day of work at Biogen yesterday, according to a company spokesperson. Enzyvant — a Roivant startup acquired by Sumitomo Dainippon — announced that she had joined them as their new commercial chief earlier today. She’s one of 3 Novartis vets that just landed new roles running commercial ops in biotech.
Noted a Biogen spokesperson: “We don’t normally comment on personnel moves, especially at this level.”
Rossell’s departure, though, comes amid a raft of reports from insiders that the company has been planning massive layoffs following the failure of Aduhelm’s launch — once widely expected to be an instant blockbuster. Instead of being greeted with enthusiasm, though, experts scorned the drug and the FDA’s decision to give it an accelerated approval on notoriously mixed data, with no clear evidence of efficacy and deep concerns about safety.
That backlash limited sales to a pittance in its first full quarter. The crisis only deepened, however, as Europe turned thumbs down on the drug and Medicare — at least initially — opted to cover the drug for only a tiny group of patients enrolled in clinical studies. Biogen is fighting that move fiercely, as Zach Brennan has reported extensively.
A source told Endpoints in November, “we are losing people left and right,” while noting that mid-level managers, in particular, were hitting the exits. And when the company said it was cutting Aduhelm’s price in half about a month ago, Biogen also hinted at more layoffs coming soon, with the goal of cutting $500 million annually.