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ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Gold Stevie Award Winner 2012, Click to Enter The 2014 American Business Awards

Company: ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Cambridge, MA
Entry Submitted By: Berry & Company Public Relations
Company Description: ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is an integrated global oncology company focused on transforming the lives of cancer patients with breakthrough medicines. ARIAD is working to develop new medicines to advance the treatment of various forms of chronic and acute leukemia, lung cancer and other difficult-to-treat cancers. In December 2012 the U.S. FDA approved Iclusig™ (ponatinib), developed by ARIAD
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Company of the Year - Pharmaceuticals

Nomination Title: ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Tell the story about what this nominated organization achieved since January 1 2012 (up to 525 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

ARIAD’s vision is to transform the lives of cancer patients with breakthrough medicines.  The company is focused on discovering and developing new drugs that will dramatically expand and improve current treatment options for patients with cancer.  Their mission is to develop and commercialize small-molecule drugs designed to target aggressive cancers where current therapies are inadequate.

2012 was a landmark year for ARIAD.  The company successfully established itself as a global commercial oncology company, setting up European headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland and receiving FDA approval of its first cancer drug, Iclusig™ (ponatinib) for the treatment of adult patients with chronic, accelerated or blast phase CML or Ph+ ALL that is  resistant or intolerant to prior tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy.  Iclusig was approved three months ahead of schedule and ARIAD was able to advance the drug from the clinic to the market in less than five years.

Last year ARIAD focused on making strategic decisions to build a fully integrated global oncology business.  This included retaining the U.S. and global commercialization rights to its first approved medicine.  ARIAD’s CEO, Harvey Berger, MD, made this decision based on his firm belief that building a global infrastructure was the only way to grow a sustainable and profitable business and that there are advantages to being a smaller smarter company with a focused sales force unencumbered  by the bureaucracy at bigger pharmaceutical companies. 
 
ARIAD’s outstanding teams of researchers, scientists and product specialists dedicated to developing breakthrough cancer medicines and commercializing them globally are a key element of the company’s success.  To support the global marketing effort for Iclusig, ARIAD has developed a seasoned sales team known as hematology account specialists.  Each member of this elite team has an average of more than 10 years of experience and is positioned to provide extensive clinical information in relationships with specialty pharmacies and physicians. 

In addition to the approval of Iclusig in the U.S., ARIAD submitted a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for Iclusig to the European Medicines Agency seeking marketing approval in the EU in adult patients with resistant or intolerant CML or Ph+ ALL.  The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use granted ARIAD’s request for accelerated assessment of the MAA.  ARIAD has assembled an outstanding team of leaders with expertise in oncology, established early-access programs, started a supply chain in key markets and implemented initial pricing and reimbursement activities in anticipation of Iclusig’s approval in Europe. 

The company is also targeting opportunities to broaden the development of Iclusig in the coming years.  Last year ARIAD initiated a global Phase 3 EPIC trial with Iclusig in patients with newly diagnosed CML and started a Phase ½ clinical trial of Iclusig in resistant or intolerant CML and Ph+ ALL patients in Japan.

ARIAD has also advanced a second drug candidate, AP26113, an investigational inhibitor of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and c-ros  oncogene1 (ROS1), into Phase 1/2 clinical trials in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).  The Phase 1/2 trial is currently ongoing and ARIAD anticipates presenting updated data from this study at a major oncology meeting in 2013.

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Provide a brief (up to 125 words) biography about the leader of this nominated organization:

Dr. Berger founded ARIAD more than twenty years ago and he is the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President. From 1986 to 1991, Dr. Berger held a series of executive management positions at Centocor, Inc., a biotechnology company, including Executive Vice President and President, Research and Development Division. He has also held senior academic and administrative appointments at Emory University, Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania and was an Established Investigator of the American Heart Association, Inc. Dr. Berger received his A.B. degree in Biology from Colgate University and his M.D. degree from Yale University School of Medicine and did further medical and research training at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Yale-New Haven Hospital.

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