BioCentury
ARTICLE | Company News

Aegerion endocrine/metabolic news

August 8, 2016 7:00 AM UTC

Aegerion will reduce headcount for the second time this year by about 13% and will evaluate options, including divestiture or licensing of rights to hypercholesterolemia treatment Juxtapid lomitapide, in response to increased competition. After the first reduction of about 25% announced in February, Aegerion had about 216 employees at April 30; a 13% reduction would cut 28, with 188 remaining. Aegerion also plans to withdraw Juxtapid from the EU and other undisclosed markets by year end. The company said it plans to continue to market the product in the U.S. and Brazil. Aegerion will maintain some infrastructure in the EU to support its launch of lipodystrophy drug Myalept metreleptin, a recombinant form of human leptin, for which the company expects European approval in late 2017. Aegerion said it hopes to reduce 2017 operating expenses by $25-$35 million and expects to complete the workforce reduction in 3Q16. Juxtapid is a small molecule microsomal triglyceride transfer protein ( MTTP; MTP) inhibitor. ...