About Cephalon, Inc.
Founded in 1987, Cephalon, Inc. is an international biopharmaceutical
company dedicated to the discovery, development and marketing of innovative
products to treat neurological disorders. The company is committed to providing
patients and the medical community with treatment options for diseases
where few or no adequate therapies currently exist.
The company's research and development efforts focus primarily on neurodegenerative diseases, utilizing technical expertise in molecular biology, molecular pharmacology, biochemistry, cell biology and chemistry. This multi-disciplinary approach to drug development is focused on neurotrophic factors, which promote the survival of neurons; protease inhibitors, which block enzyme activity and may prevent cell death; and small molecules, which influence cell growth and survival.
Cephalon is currently developing products for the treatment of narcolepsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), peripheral neuropathies, Alzheimer's disease and stroke, and currently promotes products to treat Parkinson's disease, pain, depression and muscle spasticity.
Cephalon's research and development programs also have sufficient breadth to generate potential therapeutic products outside the company's core neurological disease programs. The company is currently developing a potential treatment for prostate and other cancers.
In December 1997, Cephalon received a letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicating that the company's application to market PROVIGIL® (modafinil) Tablets in the United States for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness associated with narcolepsy is approvable. Cephalon licensed PROVIGIL from Laboratoire L. Lafon of Paris, France for development in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Mexico and Italy. In March 1998, Cephalon launched PROVIGIL in the United Kingdom for the treatment of narcolepsy.
Cephalon is also developing MYOTROPHIN® (mecasermin) Injection, in collaboration with Chiron Corporation, for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and certain peripheral neuropathies. In February 1997, Cephalon and Chiron filed an NDA with the FDA for clearance to market MYOTROPHIN Injection in the United States for the treatment of ALS. In May 1997, Cephalon and Chiron submitted a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) with the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) for clearance to market MYOTROPHIN Injection to treat patients with ALS in Europe. Cephalon and Chiron are currently providing limited supplies of MYOTROPHIN Injection to patients with ALS under a treatment investigational new drug (T-IND) protocol.
Cephalon has established a 35-person, neurology-specialty sales organization in the United States which currently copromotes two Bristol-Myers Squibb products: Stadol NS® (butorphanol tartrate) for pain management and Serzone® (nefazodone hydrochloride) for depression. Cephalon is also collaborating with Medtronic, Inc. to copromote Intrathecal Baclofen (ITBTM) Therapy to treat muscle spasticity. The company has expanded its sales and marketing capabilities overseas to include the promotion of Apokinon® (apomorphine hydrochloride) in France for the treatment of Parkinson's disease with Laboratoire Aguettant S.A. Cephalon's partnerships enable the company to prepare for commercialization of the company's portfolio of potential therapeutics for neurological diseases.
Headquartered in West Chester, PA, Cephalon currently employs approximately 300 people in the United States and Europe. The company's European headquarters, Cephalon U.K. Ltd., is located in Guildford, England, and supports offices in France, Germany, Spain and Benelux (Belgium, Luxemburg and The Netherlands).