Mission Statement

"Bring to the physician and patient innovative treatment for diseases related to endothelium through creative science“

Actelion represents the new breed of biopharma companies that marries the best attributes of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries by employing biotech innovation, speed and flexibility in concert with pharma disciplines in drug development and marketing. Despite the company’s comparatively small size, Actelion has built a unique platform with a global reach in key areas of regulatory affairs and sales and marketing. The company has created an opportunistic yet scientific corporate culture of “drug hunters” with the ability to aggressively apply resources while managing risk.

Actelion employs life-cycle teams to move a drug from inception to initial commercialisation to global sales. The company creates value by accelerating a product’s time-to-market without compromising quality, driving costs out of development and commercialisation, and quickly generating profitability. Actelion’s experience and global presence can also provide critical value to leading pharmaceutical companies in the form of partnering.

Actelion offers investors a product portfolio of global opportunities. The company’s first commercial success, Tracleer, went from clinic to launch in less than four years, and product revenues exceeded product sales and marketing spending within six months of initial launch. Tracleer provides treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). It is currently available in the U.S., is being rolled out in Europe, and will be launched in Japan and Australia in 2003. The company’s target for year-end 2002 is to be treating 5,000 revenue-generating patients, the majority of which in the U.S. By 2006, Actelion believes Tracleer has the potential to generate peak sales of $US 400 to $500 million solely in the PAH indication.

Tracleer™ today – Approved in Pulmonary arterial hypertension

Tracleer™, the first orally available dual endothelin receptor antagonist, is currently approved and available in the United States, the European Union (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, UK, others to follow), Canada and Switzerland for the treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), a chronic life-threatening condition that severely compromises the function of the lungs and heart.

Approximately 100,000 people in Europe and the United States are afflicted with either primary pulmonary hypertension or secondary forms of the disease related to conditions or tissue disorders that affect the lungs, such as scleroderma, lupus, HIV/AIDS, congenital heart disease or the use of certain appetite suppressants. Other potential incremental revenue opportunities from Tracleer include the treatment of digital ulcers.

Knowledge gained from Tracleer, the world’s first endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA), is applied to develop Veletri, an intravenous ERA, for the potential treatment of acute heart failure (AHF). Veletri is currently in the advanced stages of development and could reach the market by early 2006.

The company has assembled an attractive product pipeline and will reinvest Tracleer’s cash flows into several potentially high-return projects. Product candidates are in preclinical development to treat metabolic disorders, cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, appetite disorders, sleep disorders, hypertension, heart failure and Alzheimer’s.

Full-year profitability is anticipated in 2004, a short six years after the Swiss-based company was founded by key members of Hoffman La Roche’s cardiovascular drug development group. Disciplined financial management has laid the groundwork to begin moving Actelion toward the biotech industry average of generating net margins in the range of 20% to 25%. Cash of approximately $US 70 million and borrowing availability are expected to support activities until the company turns cash-flow positive later in 2003.

Further information about the company can be found on the website www.actelion.com

Contact at Actelion Ltd, Gewerbestrasse 16, CH-4123 Allschwil:
Media/Investor Contacts Roland Haefel +41 61 487 34 58 +1 650 624-6936
http://www.actelion.com

 

Click here to obtain a copy of THE NAPC REVIEW