Human Genome Sciences (HGSI) Announces 2012 Priority Goals and Updates Commercialization of BENLYSTA
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Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: HGSI) will today announce its priority goals for 2012 and report on progress with the commercialization of BENLYSTA® (belimumab), the first approved drug for systemic lupus in 56 years, during a presentation this afternoon by H. Thomas Watkins, President and Chief Executive Officer, to financial analysts and investors at the 30th Annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco.
“Thousands of patients with systemic lupus are now being treated with BENLYSTA,” said Mr. Watkins. “We are pioneering a treatment in a market that has not seen a new option for patients in decades. Although we are still in the early adoption phase of our launch, our experience in the market to date reinforces our belief that BENLYSTA will ultimately play a major role in improving the standard of care for SLE patients.”
During his presentation, Mr. Watkins will discuss the following goals and updates on progress:
BENLYSTA® FOR SLE: APPROVED BY FDA IN MARCH 2011, BY CANADA AND EUROPEAN COMMISSION IN JULY 2011, AND NOW BECOMING AVAILABLE TO INCREASING NUMBERS OF PATIENTS AROUND THE WORLD
BENLYSTA (belimumab) was approved on March 9, 2011 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adult patients with active, autoantibody-positive systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are receiving standard therapy.
Estimated BENLYSTA gross sales totaled $29.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. After gross-to-net adjustments of $3.4 million, estimated net sales of BENLYSTA in the fourth quarter totaled $25.7 million. During the fourth quarter, estimated BENLYSTA average weekly gross sales for the first four weeks were $2.3 million, followed by average weekly gross sales of $2.1 million and $2.5 million for the second and third four-week periods, respectively.
Estimated BENLYSTA gross sales for the year ended December 31, 2011, reflecting three full quarters on the market, totaled $59.2 million. After gross-to-net adjustments of $6.9 million, estimated net sales of BENLYSTA for 2011 totaled $52.3 million.
“With BENLYSTA, we are working to change the paradigm of treatment for systemic lupus,” said Mr. Watkins. “This involves significant education on clinical data that are still unfamiliar to many lupus-treating physicians, followed by physicians’ initial trial of BENLYSTA in a few of their real world patients. We have seen good progress with the number of physicians initiating use. As they build their own clinical experience, more and more physicians are considering BENLYSTA for appropriate SLE patients. We believe that BENLYSTA is on its way to becoming an important component of a new standard of care for SLE.”
“Thousands of patients with systemic lupus are now being treated with BENLYSTA,” said Mr. Watkins. “We are pioneering a treatment in a market that has not seen a new option for patients in decades. Although we are still in the early adoption phase of our launch, our experience in the market to date reinforces our belief that BENLYSTA will ultimately play a major role in improving the standard of care for SLE patients.”
During his presentation, Mr. Watkins will discuss the following goals and updates on progress:
BENLYSTA® FOR SLE: APPROVED BY FDA IN MARCH 2011, BY CANADA AND EUROPEAN COMMISSION IN JULY 2011, AND NOW BECOMING AVAILABLE TO INCREASING NUMBERS OF PATIENTS AROUND THE WORLD
BENLYSTA (belimumab) was approved on March 9, 2011 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adult patients with active, autoantibody-positive systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are receiving standard therapy.
Estimated BENLYSTA gross sales totaled $29.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. After gross-to-net adjustments of $3.4 million, estimated net sales of BENLYSTA in the fourth quarter totaled $25.7 million. During the fourth quarter, estimated BENLYSTA average weekly gross sales for the first four weeks were $2.3 million, followed by average weekly gross sales of $2.1 million and $2.5 million for the second and third four-week periods, respectively.
Estimated BENLYSTA gross sales for the year ended December 31, 2011, reflecting three full quarters on the market, totaled $59.2 million. After gross-to-net adjustments of $6.9 million, estimated net sales of BENLYSTA for 2011 totaled $52.3 million.
“With BENLYSTA, we are working to change the paradigm of treatment for systemic lupus,” said Mr. Watkins. “This involves significant education on clinical data that are still unfamiliar to many lupus-treating physicians, followed by physicians’ initial trial of BENLYSTA in a few of their real world patients. We have seen good progress with the number of physicians initiating use. As they build their own clinical experience, more and more physicians are considering BENLYSTA for appropriate SLE patients. We believe that BENLYSTA is on its way to becoming an important component of a new standard of care for SLE.”
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