Spinraza sales lift Biogen revenues

Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB) said Tuesday that growing sales of spinal muscular atrophy therapy Spinraza nusinersen helped the company to a 10% increase in 2018 revenues. The company also disclosed plans in its 2018 earnings to conduct a Phase III trial to evaluate if early use of aducanumab (BIIB037) can prevent or delay clinical onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Spinraza generated $470 million in 4Q18 sales, up 30% from the prior year’s quarter; the Street expected $489 million in sales of the SMA drug. The company said 6,600 patients are receiving the drug worldwide as of last quarter...