Biogen, Inc. Wins 1998 International Helix Award.

NEW YORK CITY--(BW HealthWire)--June 17, 1998--The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), in conjunction with the Long Island Association, the State University of New York at Stony Brook and the Center for Biotechnology, presented the first annual International Helix Award to Biogen, Inc. during the award luncheon at the BIO `98 International Biotechnology Meeting & Exhibition held yesterday at the New York Hilton and Towers in New York City.

Like its predecessor, the annual Long Island Helix Award which recognized outstanding biotech companies in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut regions, the International Helix Award recognizes the biotechnology company that has set a standard of excellence, based on performance, during the past fifteen months. Previous winners of the award include Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and The Collaborative Group.

Jim Vincent, Biogen's Chairman of the Board, said, "Biogen is proud to be the first recipient of the International Helix Award, which reflectsthe importance of the biotechnology industry. Biogen was one of the first biotechnology companies to be established. This year, we are celebrating our 20th anniversary as the world's oldest independent biopharmaceutical company. I believe that our achievements, and those of the entire biotechnology industry, during the past 20 years are just the prelude to the extraordinary accomplishments we can look forward to in the years to come."

Biogen, Inc., headquartered in Cambridge, MA., is a biopharmaceutical company principally engaged in discovering and developing drugs for human healthcare through genetic engineering. It developed and markets AVONEX(R) (Interferon Beta-1a), the leading treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. Other leading pharmaceutical products based on Biogen discoveries are Intron(R) A Alpha Interferon, marketed by Schering-Plough, and the hepatitis B vaccines, marketed by Smithkline Beecham and Merck. Biogen's research and development activities are focused on novel products for multiple sclerosis, inflammatory, respiratory, kidney and cardiovascular diseases and in developmental biology and gene therapy.

"The Biotechnology Industry Organization's mission has always been to promote the highest standards of achievement among biotech companies," said BIO president Carl B. Feldbaum. "We look forward to having the International Helix Award become a global symbol of excellence in our industry."

Gail Habicht, vice president for research at SUNY Stony Brook, added, "SUNY and its Center for Biotechnology are proud to be sponsors of the International Helix Award having been sponsors of its predecessor, the Long Island Helix Award. We are pleased that the opportunity for recognition has been extended to include innovative biotech companies throughout the world, like Biogen."

According to Long Island Association President Matthew T. Crosson, who presented the award at the luncheon, "We congratulate Biogen for winning the first International Helix Award. The award was created by the Long Island Partnership to honor excellence in biotechnology and Biogen has clearly demonstrated outstanding performance during the past fifteen months."

The International Helix Award is open to public and private U.S.- or foreign-based biotech companies, and nominees are judged on demonstrated leadership in three categories: product development, economic growth and corporate citizenship. An independent panel of judges representing the biotechnology community reviewed each submission, and KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, an international professional services firm, tabulated the results.

The Biotechnology Industry Organization represents more than 770 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations in 46 states and more than 25 nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of health care, agriculture and environment biotechnology products.

The Long Island Association is the principal business and civic organization of the Long Island region. Its diverse membership employs over half of the region's workforce and includes businesses, not-for-profit corporations, labor unions, hospitals, research institutions, and civic groups. Among other things, the LIA seeks to coordinate economic development activities on Long Island, and expand opportunities in the region for high technology industries, such as biotechnology. Additional information is available at the LIA's World Wide Web site (http://www.liassoc.com).

SUNY at Stony Brook has assumed an important role in the development of Long Island's biotechnology industry through its Center for Advanced Technology in Medical Biotechnology and the Long Island High Technology Incubator Program. Collectively they have supported the establishment of more than 70 high technology companies. Eight biosciences companies have "graduated" from this program. Five are publicly traded with annual revenues in excess of $110 million. Additional information on the university can be accessed via the world wide web at http://www.sunysb.edu.

   CONTACT: Rich Catalano
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