From the horse's mouth

On the 28th May an anonymous commentator highlighted the 2011 pay packet of George Scangos, chief executive of Biogen Idec:

"Biogen Idec, CEO Scangos Pay Reached $11.3 Million in 2011. It is more profitable being a Pharma CEO than being a banker; MS is obviously a profitable disease for some people."

Biogen-Idec market Avonex and Tysabri and have a pipeline of very interesting drugs for MS. 

The following are some extracts from the recent interview with George Scangos:


“We have to face the fact that we are going to be a lower-margin industry going forward."

"Yes, there are some upside 'universal truths' that the life sciences industry sees worldwide, including the aging population and an increasing demand for better therapies." 

“But increasingly those aspects are being weighed against the cost of those therapies. That is the world we live in and there is no use whining or complaining about it…. We are all going to have to do our part to bring those costs under control.”

“It’s a risky business and investors expect a certain amount of return.” 

"How companies 'balance that' spending with return is one of the critical challenges facing the industry."

Full the full article

"Some of the points raised by Scangos are interesting and have implications for MSers and their families. Any thoughts?"

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