Elan Corporation plc was a major drugs firm based in Dublin, Ireland, which had major interests in the United States. It was listed on the New York Stock Exchange as ELN, the Irish Stock Exchange as ELN.I, and the London Stock Exchange as ELN.L. In 2013, the company merged with Perrigo to form Perrigo Company PLC.

History

The company was founded in Ireland by American businessman Don Panoz in 1969. In the late 1990s, its value on the Irish Stock Exchange reached over €20bn. However, in 2002, an accounting scandal and investor reactions to the global slump, caused a major devaluation resulting in a share price slump of over 90%. Since then the company has regained its growth path under the reign of a new

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

Kelly Martin. In July 2010, Élan was fined $203m for its marketing of epilepsy drugs. In February 2013, Elan decided to dispose of the rights to sell Tysabri to Biogen Idec for $3.25 billion.

Products in development

In neurology, Elan is focused on building upon its research and experience in the area of neuropathologies such as Alzheimer’s disease, where the company’s efforts include programs focused on small molecule inhibitors of beta secretase and gamma secretase, enzymes whose actions are thought to affect the accumulation of the

amyloid plaques Amyloid plaques (also known as neuritic plaques, amyloid beta plaques or senile plaques) are extracellular deposits of the amyloid beta (Aβ) protein mainly in the grey matter of the brain. Degenerative neuronal elements and an abundance of micr ...

found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. An example of such a molecule is semagacestat. Elan is also studying other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease. Élan, in collaboration with Wyeth, is currently conducting a Phase III clinical trial for

bapineuzumab Bapineuzumab (nicknamed "bapi") is a humanized monoclonal antibody that acts on the nervous system and may have potential therapeutic value for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and possibly glaucoma. However, in 2012 it failed to produce sign ...

, an experimental humanized monoclonal antibody with a targeted indication of

immunotherapeutic Immunotherapy or biological therapy is the treatment of disease by activating or suppressing the immune system. Immunotherapies designed to elicit or amplify an immune response are classified as ''activation immunotherapies,'' while immunotherap ...

treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. This humanized monoclonal antibody is designed and engineered to clear the neurotoxic beta-amyloid peptide that accumulates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Although initial results from an earlier Phase II clinical trial presented in July 2008 were inconclusive, Elan is hopeful that bapineuzumab will prove successful in the treatment of this disease. In autoimmune diseases, Elan’s primary emphasis is studying cell trafficking to discover ways to provide disease-modifying therapies for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis,

multiple sclerosis Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...

, and

inflammatory bowel disease Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of inflammation, inflammatory conditions of the colon (anatomy), colon and small intestine, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis being the principal types. Crohn's disease affects the small intestine a ...

. Research efforts are also focused on physiological and neuropathic

pain Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, ...

. Previously named Antegren, natalizumab is a drug co-marketed by Biogen Idec and Élan as "Tysabri". Tysabri is a monoclonal antibody that inhibits immune cells from crossing blood vessel walls to reach various tissues, including the brain. It has proven efficacy in the treatment of two serious autoimmune disorders:

, and

Crohn's disease Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms often include abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody if inflammation is severe), fever, abdominal distension ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Elan Athlone Pharmaceutical companies of Ireland Manufacturing companies based in Dublin (city) Companies formerly listed on Euronext Dublin Companies formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange Companies formerly listed on the New York Stock Exchange 1969 establishments in Ireland Pharmaceutical companies established in 1969 2013 disestablishments in Ireland Pharmaceutical companies disestablished in 2013 2013 mergers and acquisitions