MIT-related companies made nine of the top 10 best-selling biotech drugs in the country in 1994. Those companies include:
��������������������������� Amgen, Inc., which developed Neupogen, Epogen and Procrit. Neupogen boosts white blood cell production and combats infection from chemotherapy, bone marrow transplants and infectious diseases. Epogen is a recombinant human hormone which stimulates red blood cell production for treatment of anemia. Procrit treats anemia associated with chemotherapy and AZT treatment of AIDS.
���������������������������������������������Biogen's Intron A alpha interferon is sold in more than 60 countries for 17 different types of cancers and viral infections, including hepatitis B and C, for which it is the primary treatment. Hairy cell leukemia and Kaposi's sarcoma, an AIDS-related cancer, are among the diseases currently being treated by Intron-A alpha interferon.
���������������������������������������������Genentech, Inc., figures prominently, with five of the top 10 biotech drugs. Its therapeutics treat diabetes (Humulin), hepatitis B (Engerix-B), heart attacks and blood clots (Activase), human growth deficiency (Protropin), and hairy cell leukemia and Kaposi's sarcoma (Roferon-A), among other disorders. Genentech is a pioneer and leader in the biotechnology revolution: the San Francisco-based company was the first major biotechnology company to be formed, in 1976.
