Biogen, Inc. (NASDAQ/BGEN) today announced that Eckhard Pfeiffer, former Compaq President and Chief Executive Officer, has been elected to Biogen’s Board of Directors, effective February 16, 2002. The election took place at the Company’s Board of Directors’ meeting.
Mr. Pfeiffer served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Compaq from 1991 to 1999. During this time, he led the company through a period of dramatic growth and revitalization. Worldwide PC market share climbed from 3.5 percent to 15.4 percent and worldwide sales soared from $3.1 billion to more than $30 billion. Mr. Pfeiffer also serves on the boards of several other companies, including General Motors, Hughes Electronics and LM Ericsson. He is a member of the Advisory Board of Deutsche Bank and serves on the Executive Board of SMU’s Cox School of Business, where he received his MBA.
James C. Mullen, Biogen’s President and Chief Executive Officer said, “During his career at Compaq, Eckhard Pfeiffer has distinguished himself with his willingness to take risks and set ambitious goals. His impact on the worldwide personal computer business has made him one of the industry’s most respected leaders. Mr. Pfeiffer’s leadership experience will be a tremendous asset to our corporate governance as Biogen recognizes a new level of growth and operating success.”
About Biogen
Biogen, Inc., winner of the U.S. National Medal of Technology, is a biotechnology company principally engaged in discovering and developing drugs for human healthcare through genetic engineering. Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, the Company’s revenues are generated from U.S. and European sales of AVONEX® (Interferon beta-1a) for treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, and from the worldwide sales by licensees of a number of products, including alpha interferon and hepatitis B vaccines and diagnostic products. Biogen’s research and development activities are focused on novel products to treat inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, neurological diseases, cancer, fibrosis and congestive heart failure. The Company maintains active clinical research programs in protein therapeutics, small molecules, genomics and gene therapy. For copies of press releases and additional information about the Company, please consult Biogen’s Homepage on the World Wide Web at http://www.biogen.com.
AVONEX® (Interferon beta-1a) is a registered trademark of Biogen, Inc.