Celgene's 2020 foresight

Over the last few months, Celgene Corp. has spent some $3 billion to expand its pipeline of hematology/oncology products via one large acquisition and a series of three collaborations. The goal is to keep its cancer and inflammation pipeline stocked with products that will provide sustained growth through the second decade of the century, even as its marketed drugs mature.

Celgene's near-term focus is on lifecycle management of its existing franchise of agents to treat multiple myeloma (MM) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), which now consists of Revlimid lenalidomide, Thalomid thalidomide and Vidaza azacitadine. The company obtained worldwide rights to Vidaza and ex-North American rights for thalidomide through its recently completed $2.9 billion acquisition of Pharmion Corp. (see BioCentury, Dec. 3, 2007 & March 17, 2008)...