Boston-based Biogen Idec, which makes its multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri at its manufacturing plant in Research Triangle Park, has been named "Company of the Year" by Pharmaceutical Executive magazine.
For the seventh year in a row the publication invited Professor Bill Trombetta of St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia to evaluate and rank 16 top drug makers against a dozen business metrics. The highlight: the magazine said of Biogen, "A dark horse comes out of nowhere to win company of the year."
The publication ranked the 16 companies on a variety of criteria including revenue growth, shareholder value creation and earnings per share. In giving the top spot to Biogen, it also highlighted the company's "strong relationships with patients" and "pipeline that some analysts call the best in biotech."
Biogen employs more than 800 people in the Triangle.
Several other companies with significant installations in North Carolina that made the magazine's ranking include GlaxoSmithKline (5), Merck (10), Wyeth (12), Pfizer (15) and Novartis (16).