In late December 2011, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was acquired by Enobia Pharma of Canada. Maintaning the SBIR connection, Alexion bought rare SBIR-involved, disease company SynagevaPharmaceuticals, Inc., in a muli-billiontranaction. Alexion is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on developing life-transforming therapies for patients with severe and life-threatening diseases that are also ultra-rare and lack effective treatment options. The firm's first commercial product, Soliris® (eculizumab), is approved in more than 40 countries as a treatment for patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), and in the United States, European Union and Canada as a treatment for patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). Alexion is evaluating other potential indications for Soliris and is developing additional highly innovative biotechnology product candidates, which are being investigated across nine other severe and ultra-rare disorders. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc is engaged in the discovery and development of therapeutic products aimed at treating patients with a wide array of severe disease states, including cardiovascular, autoimmune and hematologic disorders, inflammation and cancer. The Company focuses substantially all of its resources to drug discovery, research and product and clinical development. In addition, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Alexion Antibody Technologies, Inc., the Company is engaged in the discovery and development of a portfolio of additional antibody therapeutics targeting severe unmet medical needs. The Company's two lead product candidates are therapeutic antibodies that address specific diseases that arise when the human immune system produces inappropriately activated inflammation in the human body. The firm develops drugs that inhibit certain immune system functions that cause autoimmune disorders, cancers, and other diseases. Lead candidate Soliris may treat a rare genetic blood disorder known as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. Subsidiary Alexion Antibody Technology is developing human antibody therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. The company had stopped development on Pexelizumab, an anti-inflammation candidate developed with Procter & Gamble, after getting disappointing results from a Phase III clinical trial.
