MedImmune

MedImmune, LLC
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryPharmaceutical
Founded1988; 36 years ago (1988) (as Molecular Vaccines, Inc.)
1989; 35 years ago (1989) (as MedImmune, Inc.)
HeadquartersGaithersburg, Maryland, U.S.
ProductsSynagis
FluMist
ParentAstraZeneca
Websitewww.medimmune.com[dead link‍]

MedImmune, LLC was a wholly owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca before February 14, 2019, when it was announced that the MedImmune name and branding would be discontinued in favor of AstraZeneca.[1][2]

MedImmune was founded in 1988 as Molecular Vaccines, Inc, and was purchased in 2007 for $15.6 billion.[3] Its main offices were located in Gaithersburg, MD, Cambridge, UK, and Mountain View, CA.[4]

It produced Synagis, a drug for the prevention of respiratory infections in infants, which accounted for US$ 1.06 billion of its US$ 1.2 billion in revenue for 2005, and FluMist, a nasal spray influenza vaccine introduced in 2004. MedImmune acquired FluMist when it purchased Aviron in 2002 for US$ 1.5 billion. FluMist sales totaled US$ 104 million in 2008, US$ 54.8 million in 2007, and US$ 36.4 million in 2006.[5]

FluMist was approved for children two years of age and older in 2007, but initially was approved only for healthy people ages 5 to 49, a significant limitation because it eliminated a significant market—young children who find injections objectionable. Sales of FluMist fell short of analysts' expectations for the first two years the drug was sold. FluMist was initially sold in a frozen form, which was difficult for doctors to store.[6]

MedImmune conducted successful clinical trials for a new generation of FluMist needle-free vaccine, called CAIV-T, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2007, and is now the form offered on the market.

  1. ^ "12 years on, Astra draws a line under Medimmune". Evaluate.com. 2019-02-14. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  2. ^ "AstraZeneca retires Medimmune name amid sales turnaround". BioPharma Dive. Retrieved 2019-02-16.
  3. ^ Pollack, Andrew (24 April 2007). "AstraZeneca Buys MedImmune for $15.6 Billion". Retrieved 2 June 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
  4. ^ "About Us | MedImmune". Archived from the original on 2017-08-30. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
  5. ^ Michael S. Rosenwald (June 2, 2009). "MedImmune Wins Key Contract To Develop Swine Flu Vaccine". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 23, 2009.
  6. ^