CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & BASEL, Switzerland & BEIJING--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BeiGene, Ltd. (NASDAQ: BGNE; HKEX: 06160; SSE: 688235), a global biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing innovative medicines worldwide, yesterday announced the opening of a new regional office in Basel, Switzerland. BeiGene has built a European organization, including commercial and clinical teams, and this new location will serve as a hub for the company’s operations in the region.
“The opening in Basel builds upon the tremendous growth of our organization in Europe and will provide a new center for our operations in the region,” said John V. Oyler, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO at BeiGene. “We have built a terrific team and the skilled talent network in Basel will support our future growth. This is just the beginning – we are on a path to advance our mission to reach more patients with innovative medicines across Europe and globally.”
Founded in 2010, BeiGene now counts a global team of over 8,000 colleagues across five continents. Currently, BeiGene’s European organization includes more than 270 colleagues, and the Basel office is expected to initially include 150 colleagues. The company conducts clinical trials globally and to date has enrolled patients from more than 45 countries, including 25 countries in Europe. BeiGene’s BTK inhibitor zanubrutinib was approved by the European Medicines Agency in November 2021 for treatment of adults with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia and has subsequently received approvals in Great Britain and Switzerland.
On the occasion of the opening event, BeiGene hosted several government representatives and business leaders from the region discussing the value of biotechnology leaders like BeiGene to the greater Basel area.
“BeiGene's presence also represents a great opportunity for the Swiss and particularly the Basel economy to grow and collaborate,” commented Deborah Strub, Member of the Executive Board and Head of the Cluster & Initiatives Department at the Basel Chamber of Commerce. “The life sciences sector is the economic engine of the region. With BeiGene we see opportunities for interesting synergies and exchanges.”
“In a short period of time, our BeiGene colleagues across Europe have already made significant progress toward reaching more patients,” said Gerwin Winter, Head of Europe at BeiGene. “Our new European headquarters in Basel will further strengthen our position and will be a catalyst for changing the lives of European patients.”
In addition to the new Basel office, BeiGene has offices around the world, with key operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Beijing, China.
BeiGene Oncology
BeiGene is committed to advancing best- and first-in-class clinical candidates internally or with like-minded partners to develop impactful and affordable medicines for patients across the globe. We have a growing R&D and medical affairs team of approximately 2,900 colleagues dedicated to advancing more than 100 clinical trials that have involved more than 16,000 subjects. Our expansive portfolio is directed predominantly by our internal colleagues supporting clinical trials in more than 45 countries and regions. Hematology-oncology and solid tumor targeted therapies and immuno-oncology are key focus areas for the company, with both mono- and combination therapies prioritized in our research and development. BeiGene currently has three approved medicines discovered and developed in our own labs: BTK inhibitor BRUKINSA in the United States, China, the EU and U.K., Canada, Australia and additional international markets; and the non-FC-gamma receptor binding anti-PD-1 antibody tislelizumab as well as the PARP inhibitor pamiparib in China.
BeiGene also partners with innovative companies who share our goal of developing therapies to address global health needs. We commercialize a range of oncology medicines in China licensed from Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, EUSA Pharma and Bio-Thera. We also plan to address greater areas of unmet need globally through our other collaborations including with Mirati Therapeutics, Seagen, and Zymeworks. In January 2021, BeiGene and Novartis announced a collaboration granting Novartis rights to co-develop, manufacture, and commercialize BeiGene’s anti-PD1 antibody tislelizumab in North America, Europe, and Japan. Building upon this productive collaboration, including a biologics license application (BLA) under FDA review, BeiGene and Novartis announced an option, collaboration and license agreement in December 2021 for BeiGene’s TIGIT inhibitor ociperlimab that is in Phase 3 development. Novartis and BeiGene also entered into a strategic commercial agreement through which BeiGene will promote five approved Novartis Oncology products across designated regions of China.
About BeiGene
BeiGene is a global, science-driven biotechnology company focused on developing innovative and affordable medicines to improve treatment outcomes and access for patients worldwide. With a broad portfolio of more than 40 clinical candidates, we are expediting development of our diverse pipeline of novel therapeutics through our own capabilities and collaborations. We are committed to radically improving access to medicines for two billion more people by 2030. BeiGene has a growing global team of over 8,000 colleagues across five continents. To learn more about BeiGene, please visit www.beigene.com and follow us on Twitter at @BeiGeneGlobal.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws, including statements regarding BeiGene’s operations in Europe; the anticipated clinical development, regulatory milestones and commercialization of BeiGene’s medicines and drug candidates; the success of BeiGene’s commercialization efforts and plans to make BeiGene’s medicines more affordable and accessible to patients in Europe and globally; and BeiGene’s plans, commitments, aspirations and goals under the headings “BeiGene Oncology” and “About BeiGene”. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including BeiGene's ability to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of its drug candidates; the clinical results for its drug candidates, which may not support further development or marketing approval; actions of regulatory agencies, which may affect the initiation, timing and progress of clinical trials and marketing approval; BeiGene's ability to achieve commercial success for its marketed medicines and drug candidates, if approved; BeiGene's ability to obtain and maintain protection of intellectual property for its medicines and technology; BeiGene's reliance on third parties to conduct drug development, manufacturing and other services; BeiGene’s limited experience in obtaining regulatory approvals and commercializing pharmaceutical products and its ability to obtain additional funding for operations and to complete the development of its drug candidates and achieve and maintain profitability; and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on BeiGene’s clinical development, regulatory, commercial, manufacturing, and other operations, as well as those risks more fully discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in BeiGene’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in BeiGene's subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and BeiGene undertakes no duty to update such information unless required by law.
