Actelion

Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is a pharmaceuticals and biotechnology company established in December 1997, headquartered in Allschwil near Basel, Switzerland. The company is part of Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine business segment. Actelion focuses on the manufacture of drugs that treat rare and orphan diseases. Some of the drugs it has produced have been used to treat patients with symptoms related to central nervous system disorders, irregular heart conditions, immune system disorders, and cancer. One of the focuses of Actelion is treating individuals with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a heart condition that leaves patients with a short life expectancy (7–9 years) even with treatment. Actelion scientists were among the first to work in the field of endothelin receptor antagonists. Actelion was initially financed with venture capital provided through a syndicate including Atlas Venture, Sofinnova and HealthCap. Actelion develops and sells drugs in the continents of Asia, Europe, and North and South America. Actelion has 29 operative affiliates globally, including in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Japan, Switzerland, and several EU countries. The Swiss affiliate is located in Baden, the German affiliate in Freiburg, the Austrian one in Vienna, the French one in Paris and the UK affiliate is located in London. In 2006, the company established the Actelion Endothelin Research Award program which supports selected clinical research projects. In January 2017, Johnson & Johnson announced it would purchase the company for $30 billion. Actelion's research and development unit would also be spun off after the acquisition. The new company Idorsia was created from former Actelion drug discovery operations and early-stage clinical development assets and listed in June 2017 on the SIX Swiss Exchange. In 2018, Johnson & Johnson announced they would discontinue the development of one of the phase III drugs it acquired during its purchase of Actelion.