Cephalon#chemgenex
{{Short description|American biopharmaceutical company}}
{{For|information about the head portion in arthropod anatomy|Cephalon (arthropod head)}}
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{{Infobox company
| name = Cephalon, Inc.
| logo =
| type = Subsidiary
| traded_as = {{NASDAQ was|CEPH}}
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1987}}
| founder = * Frank Baldino
Michael Lewis{{cn|date=February 2020}}
James C. Kauer{{cn|date=February 2020}}
| location = {{no wrap|Frazer, Pennsylvania}}{{cn|date=February 2020}}
| key_people = J. Kevin Buchi (CEO){{when|date=February 2020}}{{cn|date=February 2020}}
| industry = Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical
| revenue =
| net_income =
| num_employees = 3,726 {{small|(December 31, 2010)}}{{cn|date=February 2020}}
| parent = Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
| homepage = {{URL|http://www.cephalon.com}}
| products = alertness drug Provigil, the painkiller Actiq, seizure medication Gabitril
}}
Cephalon, Inc. was an American biopharmaceutical company co-founded in 1987 by pharmacologist Frank Baldino, Jr.,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/business/22baldino.html|title=Frank Baldino Jr., Founder of Pharmaceutical Company, Dies at 57|last=Meier|first=Barry|date=December 21, 2010|work=The New York Times|access-date=November 21, 2018|url-access=limited}} neuroscientist Michael Lewis, and organic chemist James C. Kauer—all three former scientists with the DuPont Company.{{citation needed lead|date=February 2020}} Baldino served as Cephalon's chairman and chief executive officer,{{citation needed lead|date=February 2020}} until his death in December 2010. The company's name comes from the adjective "cephalic" meaning "related to the head or brain", as it was established primarily to pursue treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.{{citation needed lead|date=February 2020}}
As noted by fundinguniverse.com:
{{blockquote|Cephalon initially avoided involving itself in activities that would require maintaining a sales staff, managing clinical trials, and shepherding new drugs through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process. With no product to sell, Cephalon's only asset was its scientific expertise. That expertise proved sufficient to attract investors, and the company managed to fund its operations through research grants and contracts with larger pharmaceutical firms.{{Cite web|author = Funding Universe Staff | title = History of Cephalon, Inc.| date = 30 November 2015 | url = http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/cephalon-inc-history/|work = FundingUniverse.com|access-date = 30 November 2015 | quote = As a small research house, Cephalon initially avoided involving itself in activities that would require maintaining a sales staff, managing clinical trials, and shepherding new drugs through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process. With no product to sell, Cephalon's only asset was its scientific expertise. That expertise proved sufficient to attract investors, and the company managed to fund its operations through research grants and contracts with larger pharmaceutical firms. }}}}
Cephalon was first included in the Fortune 1000 list of U.S. companies based upon annual revenues for 2006.{{citation needed lead|date=February 2020}} Sales revenues reached $2.8 billion in 2010,{{citation needed lead|date=February 2020}} ranking Cephalon among the leading biopharmaceutical companies in the world at that time.{{citation needed lead|date=February 2020}}
On May 2, 2011, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries announced it would acquire Cephalon.{{Cite web|
author = Teva Staff | date = May 1, 2011 | title = טבע רוכשת את Cephalon תמורת 6.8 מיליארד דולר [Teva acquires Cephalon for $ 6.8 billion] | work = Teva.co.il | format = press release | url=https://www.teva.co.il/News-media/Cephalon/|access-date=10 February 2020}}{{better source|date=February 2020}} The deal was completed on October 11, 2011.{{Cite web|
author = FiecrePharma | date = Oct 11, 2011 | title = Teva Completes Acquisition of Cephalon| format = press release | url=https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/teva-completes-acquisition-of-cephalon|access-date=11 March 2024}}{{better source|date=February 2020}}
Product development and acquisition history
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The company's early research efforts were focused on the development of IGF-1, an insulin-like growth factor, in collaboration with Chiron Corporation, toward the development of a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease), a candidate that was never approved.{{cn|date=February 2020}}
Thereafter, the company developed and commercialized products for the treatment of sleep disorders, pain, addiction and cancer,{{cn|date=February 2020}} establishing the "wake franchise"{{cite quote|date=February 2020}} on the basis of Provigil (modafinil) and later, Nuvigil, the R-enantiomer of modafinil.{{cn|date=February 2020}} In addition to conducting research on kinase inhibitors and other small molecules,{{cn|date=February 2020}} Cephalon licensed other compounds, purchased other products, and acquired entire companies, in the latter case, including CIMA Labs, Anesta, and Laboratoire Lafon.{{cn|date=February 2020}} It was from Lafon that Cephalon obtained the rights to modafinil, which it marketed under the trade name Provigil, for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and shift work sleep disorder.{{cn|date=February 2020}} Sales of Provigil reached nearly one billion dollars in 2008.{{cn|date=February 2020}}
In February 2009, Cephalon acquired the Australian biotechnology firm, Arana Therapeutics, which brought Cephalon its lead biologic candidate, ART621, a candidate for inflammatory diseases,{{cn|date=February 2020}} and biologics for the treatment of cancers.{{verification needed|date=February 2020}}{{cn|date=February 2020}} Then, as infogrok.com noted in February 2010, "Cephalon... exercised its option to acquire Ception Therapeutics, following receipt of positive data from a clinical study in adults with eosinophilic asthma."{{cite web | author = Staff Writer | date = 24 February 2010 | title = Cephalon To Acquire Ception Therapeutics | url = http://www.infogrok.com/index.php/pharmaceutical/cephalon-to-acquire-ception-therapeutics.html | access-date = 10 February 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110713034716/http://www.infogrok.com/index.php/pharmaceutical/cephalon-to-acquire-ception-therapeutics.html | archive-date = July 13, 2011 | url-status = dead }}{{better source|date=February 2020}} Commenting on this, Frank Baldino Jr., CEO of Cephalon, said, "The acquisition of Ception is consistent with our strategy to diversify into biologics and provides us with an important phase three asset for further development."{{better source|date=February 2020}}
At the time of Baldino's death in 2010, the company he had co-founded in 1987 was best known for
the alertness drug Provigil, the painkiller Actiq, and the seizure disorder medication Gabitril. {{anchor|chemgenex}}In 2011, Cephalon agreed to acquire ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals, which would provided Cephalon with marketing rights to Omapro, a therapeutic agent for a drug-resistant leukemia, in the oncology therapeutic area.{{Citation|last = Bennett | first = Simeon | date = March 29, 2011| title = Cephalon agrees to acquire ChemGenex: Potential leukemia drug key to $230M purchase| periodical = Delaware Online | publisher = Bloomberg News| url = http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110330/BUSINESS/103300304/-1/NLETTER01/Cephalon-agrees-to-acquire-ChemGenex| access-date = March 30, 2011 }}
Management and locations
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Longtime chief financial officer J. Kevin Buchi succeeded Baldino as CEO in 2011.{{Cite web|last=Writer|first=By Christopher K. Hepp, Inquirer Staff|title=Cephalon names J. Kevin Buchi new CEO|url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/business/Cephalon_names_J_Kevin_Buchi_new_CEO.html|access-date=2020-09-10|website=inquirer.com|date=December 23, 2010 |language=en-US}}{{Cite news|last=Gryta|first=Thomas|date=2010-12-17|title=Cephalon's CEO Dies While on Medical Leave|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704034804576025350617783420|access-date=2020-09-10|issn=0099-9660}} Members of the board included:{{when|date=February 2020}} venture capitalist William Egan, former COR Therapeutics CEO Vaughan Kailian, prominent healthcare economist Dr. Gail Wilensky, former SmithKline Beecham executive Dr. Martyn Greenacre, former Harvard physician and Glaxo USA head Dr. Charles Sanders and former Ambassador Kevin Moley.{{cn|date=February 2020}}
The company was headquartered west of Philadelphia, in Frazer, Pennsylvania, and had research operations in nearby West Chester and manufacturing and other operations in suburban Minneapolis, Minnesota and Salt Lake City, Utah.{{cn|date=February 2020}} European operations were based near Paris, France.{{cn|date=February 2020}} After the acquisition of Arana,{{when|date=February 2020}} Research and Development operations continued in Sydney, Australia.{{cn|date=February 2020}}
Legal issues
In 1999 Cephalon settled a lawsuit for $17 million in which it had faced claims that Baldino and other company executives had overstated the potential for a drug aimed at treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease).{{Cite web|url=https://signon.thomsonreuters.com/?productid=CBT&viewproductid=CBTOW&lr=0&culture=en-US&returnto=https%3a%2f%2fcontent.next.westlaw.com%2fCosi%2fSignOn%3fredirectTo%3d%252fDocument%252fI32f225713a0111db876784559e94f880%252fView%252fFullText.html%253fcontextData%253d(sc.Default)%2526transitionType%253dDefault%2526firstPage%253dtrue%2526bhcp%253d1&tracetoken=0221201317540HQi_pPBaoSKfuD3IRpJH8rahPBcqBCFRBUW15VLzbzuvDNktTJR6PlJPmsU6fUKmIgbstNpapMMwiXDfgiudoaN_h6zSrOv1mKBsnhGRThRYBDiHLn9yqfGb2GN2Qh32tWgdRN0bwtNUZvrwZawN7N0pDTgxIL_b69OG3mzYZUIHaims9J0YMQ_EKFU9IsHQR5HD-R3gSRK4dnQH03VOVdJaMNgqDq7ZXGt6b-U1rmyvUUQABvQTy1IhiXoM-upTteovuf788ftSQL9Fn9-KTWtZyC5vglOmVTxw0qDWOPS0GbaZPnrLT7dTcguy5i4Ex3KTeDbVW18QxAitg2D1NI_OpEAtD98A_HWBMmXHD7avO584TWVudd97CivbBtPF|title=Westlaw Sign In {{!}} Thomson Reuters|website=signon.thomsonreuters.com|access-date=2020-02-21}} In addition, the Federal Trade Commission filed suit against Cephalon,{{when|date=February 2020}} stating that it had made "illegal deals with generic drug companies to delay generic competition to Provigil", an accusation that Cephalon has reportedly disputed.{{update after|2020|2|11}} In September 2008, Cephalon paid $425 million to the federal government to settle four whistleblower lawsuits and a criminal charge alleging Cephalon had marketed Actiq, Gabitril and Provigil for “off-label” (unapproved) uses.{{Cite web|author = Phillips and Cohen Staff | date=July 8, 2019| orig-year = September 29, 2008 | location = Washington, D.C.| publisher = Phillips & Cohen LLP | format = press release | url=https://www.phillipsandcohen.com/cephalon-pays-425-million-settle-unique-off-label-marketing-case-brought-whistleblower/|title=Cephalon Pays $425M to Settle Whistleblower Off-label Marketing Case: Whistleblower Bruce Boise–Cephalon opioid lollipops lawsuit|access-date=10 February 2020}}{{better source|date=February 2020}}{{better source|date=February 2020}}
Products
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Select products that Cephalon manufactured and marketed included:{{when|date=February 2020}}{{cn|date=February 2020}}
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- Actiq (fentanyl citrate)
- Amrix (cyclobenzaprine)
- Fentora (fentanyl)
- Gabitril (tiagabine)
- Nuvigil (armodafinil)
- Provigil (modafinil)
- Treanda (bendamustine HCl)
- Trisenox (arsenic trioxide)
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References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.tevapharm.com}} (Teva Pharmaceutical)
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{{Philadelphia Corporations}}
{{Pharmaceutical companies of the United States}}
Category:Pharmaceutical companies established in 1987
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Category:Biotechnology companies established in 1987
Category:Biotechnology companies of the United States
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Category:Biotechnology companies disestablished in 2011
Category:1987 establishments in Pennsylvania