Crystal ball

zolgensma broad approval will end Spinraza growth

MS will remain flat to decline

Pipeline has far superior competition even if we get approvals

M&A in our future.

 

You forgot 1/2 the sales force gone by years end.

 

Why are you saying 1/2 of sales force will be gone?

 

You must be new here.

 

Oh God another babe in the woods. If you're a recent hire at the RTP site congratulations, you fit in. Probably on the fast track to management in QA too.

 

You’re assuming Biogen will act on meaningful M&A. They’ve only been talking about this for nearly 3 years, and all they have to show for it are a bunch of discarded throwaways assets, acquired unheralded assets from no-name startups and pre-clinical partnerships. Nightstar is a bit of a joke at a $800m price tag 2 weeks before the Adu announcement and its products years away from approvals.

Notice how each acquired drug all have to be some overly-clever “diamond in the rough” that no one else was smart enough to see its value and it’s hidden potential? Or some very early phase/pre-clinical partnership that BIIB controls? For some reason BIIB will not take a swing at a conventional well-known startup with late-phase assets that have clear blockbuster potential.

 

I have to say, you've made some compelling points there.

I worked at RTP for a few years (left recently) and can say that Biogen is real Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde. On one side they want to play like the big guys and on the other they don't want to be one of the big guys. The constant re-orgs and workforce reduction only helps bottom line, not a robust pipeline or talent retention. I truly believed that management was using a Ouija board to run the business and make decisions. It was clear that management had no strategy which instilled a lack of confidence and respect in them among many of us. Now from the outside looking in, they're progressively turning into daddy Warbucks with a checkbook to fund/co-develop therapies and manufacture them later. Ultimately, they'll be a CMO resting on a name with diminishing credentials.

 

What's the tea on potential layoffs and restructuring in R&D?

 

The first restructuring will be one rep per territory.....get the resumes out.

 

The ax should fall on long-time Biogen survivors who survived numerous layoffs. They're so insular and don't have an open-mind about what's going on outside of Biogen.

 

You obviously do not pay much attention to what is going on around you in that area. It always amazes me how some individuals have the smarts and ability to see it from a mile away, while others don’t see it until it’s inches from their nose.

Sometimes companies don’t want layoffs directly linked to specific bad news, such as the major Adu failure. They give it space so Wall Street doesn’t assume it’s a reaction due to strictly that event. Companies want cuts to be seen by outside investors as operational efficiencies that save cash flow and working capital based off of a strategic review, and not due to some panic over severe corporate mismanagement.

 

Field force slaughtered by end of year. Sad months coming for Biogen.

 

TLL director in the east just left......writing is on the wall. RUN!!!!!

 

Why do you say sales force will be slaughtered? I call BS on this

 

I wouldn't say slaughtered...more like condensed even more. Definitely not BS, I'd say highly likely.
I've found in this business, Sales Force is always cut first during workforce reductions. Using Biogen as an example, they aren't selling a whole lot. It's an MS portfolio that's so aged, next generation therapies and competition have halted its growth. If you read the articles following earnings calls, Biogen's revenues increase yet patient enrollment is stagnant. They're relying on price increases to satisfy investors, it's not new patient enrollment driving the numbers. Without a portfolio to actually "sell" a Sales Force isn't needed and will be condensed even more.

This is common knowledge, you must be a noob to all this.

 

The Vp of investor relations just resigned. His last day is in mid June. Disheartening to read that.

 

Again o call BS on this. Biogen has never had a layoff

 

Thats funny, I’ve been here 7 years and I’ve seen 2 layoffs. We had 3 per Pod as little as 4 years ago.

 

Another troll. You can Google biogen layoffs and see them come up in the news.

I'm sure it was good for a few chuckles while you were typing but you're an idiot.

 

Hmm they had a layoff last year when they cut some territories from 2 TBMs down to one! Rumor is ALL territories will go down to 1 TBM by end of year.