Apellis Pharmaceuticals Inc

Biogen executives said the company is advancing 10 Phase III programs with clinical readouts beginning in the fourth quarter as it works to offset declines in its legacy multiple sclerosis business and return to growth. Speaking at a Wells Fargo conference, Chief Financial Officer Robin Kramer said the pipeline is at a pivotal point for growth, with the Fit for Growth initiative redirecting investment from the MS portfolio into newer launches including LEQEMBI, SKYCLARYS and ZURZUVAE. Head of corporate development Adam Keeney said Biogen has expanded into immunology and nephrology through deals including the HI-Bio acquisition and its felzartamab asset, whose initial focus is antibody-mediated rejection in kidney transplantation, where there are no approved therapies and roughly 11,000 U.S. patients experience secondary rejection. The Apellis acquisition added commercial products and nephrology capabilities, including SYFOVRE in geographic atrophy, and Biogen expects the deal to be dilutive in 2026 mainly on interest expense while targeting roughly $250 million in annualized cost savings exiting next year and paying down the related debt by the end of 2027. Keeney said Biogen expects to focus more on earlier-stage business development through 2027, particularly in immunology, rare disease and neurology, and is not financially constrained for early-stage transactions.