Genzyme is one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies. Its more than 12,000 employees work in countries throughout the world and are united by a common goal: to make a major positive impact on the lives of people with debilitating diseases.
Since its founding in 1981, Genzyme has grown from a small start-up to a diversified enterprise with 2008 revenues of $4.6 billion. Over the past two decades Genzyme has introduced a number of breakthrough treatments in several areas of medicine, which have provided hope to patients who previously had no viable treatment options. Genzyme products are helping patients in 100 countries.
Today, Genzyme continues to be driven by its commitment to patients. The company is working to develop new medicines, improve its existing therapies, secure approvals for its products around the world, and ensure that patients have access to these treatments. Genzyme, which has its headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was chosen in 2007 to receive the National Medal of Technology, the highest honor awarded by the President of the United States for technological innovation.
Genzyme focuses on the following broad areas of medicine:
Genetics Diseases
Cardiometabolic and Renal
Oncology
Orthopaedics/Biosurgical Specialties
Transplant
Genetics/Diagnostics
Research and Development
Genzyme's research and development efforts are focused on the areas of medicine where it markets commercial products. The company also conducts research in cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and other areas of unmet medical need. In 2008, Genzyme invested approximately $750 million in this work, or about 16 percent of its revenues.
Genzyme continues to build its pipeline through both internal research and licensing and acquisitions, focusing on product candidates with the potential to change the standard of care for serious diseases. The company’s broad pipeline features seven major late-stage programs, including: alemtuzumab for multiple sclerosis; Clolar for adult acute myeloid leukemia; and mipomersen for familial hypercholesterolemia and other high risk, high cholesterol patients.
Corporate Responsibility
Corporate responsibility is a priority at Genzyme. The company’s commitment to patients extends beyond the development of new treatments and the services needed to deliver them. Genzyme has a strong presence in developing countries, where it provides free medicine to patients and helps to build sustainable health care systems. The company in 2006 launched an initiative to support the development of treatments for neglected diseases that affect hundred of millions of people in the developing world. Genzyme’s headquarters is one of the most environmentally responsible office buildings in the world, and the company is a leader in waste-reduction and recycling efforts.
In addition, Genzyme supports science education and health initiatives in the communities in which it operates. For these and other efforts, Genzyme has been consistently included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, which consists of companies that excel in economic, environmental and social performance. For the past three years, Genzyme was named one of the "Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World" by Innovest Strategic Value Advisors. BusinessWeek has ranked Genzyme as one of the top corporate givers, and the company has also been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and many other organizations.
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