UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 29, 2008

Biogen Idec Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)		0-19311 (Commission file number)		33-0112644 (IRS Employer Identification No.)

14 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Address of principal executive offices)		02142 (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (617) 679-2000

Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

o		Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o		Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o		Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o		Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

Item 5.02		Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

     On May 29, 2008, Hans Peter Hasler was named Chief Operating Officer of Biogen Idec Inc. In connection with this appointment, Mr. Hasler will receive an award of approximately $270,000 in options to purchase shares of Biogen Idec common stock and an award of approximately $270,000 in restricted stock units, each under the Biogen Idec Inc. 2005 Omnibus Equity Plan. The number of shares subject to each award will be based on the closing price of Biogen Idec common stock on June 2, 2008, the first trading day of the month following Mr. Hasler’s appointment.

     Mr. Hasler, age 52, has served as our Executive Vice President, Global Neurology, Head of International since October 2007 and has managed our international business since the merger of IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corporation and Biogen, Inc. in November 2003. He previously served as Senior Vice President, Head of International from November 2003 to October 2007. He served as Executive Vice President — International of Biogen, Inc. from July 2003 until the merger, and joined Biogen, Inc as Executive Vice President — Commercial Operations in August 2001.

Item 7.01		Regulation FD Disclosure

     A copy of the press release announcing Mr. Hasler’s appointment is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1. The press release is being furnished with this Current Report on Form 8-K and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section, nor shall such document be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act.

Item 9.01		Financial Statements and Exhibits.

The exhibits listed on the Exhibit Index immediately preceding such exhibits are furnished as part of this Current Report on Form 8-K.

SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Date: May 29, 2008

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number				Description
	99.1			The Company’s press release dated May 29, 2008.

Exhibit 99.1

For More Information Contact:
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Amy Reilly
Associate Director, Public Affairs
Biogen Idec
Tel: (617) 914-6524

INVESTOR CONTACTS:
Eric Hoffman,
Director, Investor Relations
Biogen Idec
Tel: (617) 679-2812

BIOGEN IDEC NAMES HANS PETER HASLER CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

CAMBRIDGE, MA — May 29, 2008 — Biogen Idec (Nasdaq: BIIB) today named Hans Peter Hasler Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company. Mr. Hasler, age 52, has served as Executive Vice President, Global Neurology and Head of International. In his new role, Mr. Hasler will oversee all commercial operations as well as the company’s business development function.

“In view of the continued expansion of our commercial businesses, and the advances of our extensive pipeline, it is important to further integrate Biogen Idec’s commercial units,” said James C. Mullen, Biogen Idec’s Chief Executive Officer. “Bringing together these businesses to enhance our commercial and new product opportunities on a global basis is a logical step in the continued implementation of our growth strategy — and Hans Peter Hasler is the ideal person to fill this new organizational role. Over the last few years, Hans Peter has led the great success and growth of our business outside the U.S. I am confident that we will continue meeting and exceeding our goals under his strong and capable leadership.”

Since assuming responsibilities for Biogen Idec’s International business in 2003, the company’s sales outside the U.S. have grown at a compound annual rate of 23 percent between 2004 and 2007. A stated strategic goal of Biogen Idec is to continue the geographic diversification of the company’s revenue base, with more than 40 percent of revenue coming from our International business by the end of year 2010.

Hans Peter Hasler joined Biogen in 2001 from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals where he worked for eight years, serving since 1998 as Senior Vice President, Head of Global Strategic Marketing. He was also a member of the Wyeth Executive Committee and Chair of the Commercial Council.

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Page 2 Biogen Idec Names Hans Peter Hasler Chief Operating Officer

From 1993 to 1998, he served in senior management capacities, including Managing Director of Wyeth Group, Germany; General Manager of Wyeth in Switzerland; and General Manager of Central Eastern Europe. Prior to joining Wyeth, Mr. Hasler held several positions at Abbott AG and Sanofi Pharma AG in Switzerland.

Biogen Idec creates new standards of care in therapeutic areas with high unmet medical needs. Founded in 1978, Biogen Idec is a global leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of innovative therapies. Patients in more than 90 countries benefit from Biogen Idec’s significant products that address diseases such as lymphoma, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. For product labeling, press releases and additional information about the company, please visit www.biogenidec.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which appear in the comments from James Mullen, our CEO, and in the description of our strategic goals. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from that which we expect. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ include our continued dependence on our two principal products, AVONEX^® (Interferon beta-1a) and RITUXAN^® (rituximab), the uncertainty of success in commercializing other products including TYSABRI^® (natalizumab), the occurrence of adverse safety events with our products, the consequences of the nomination of directors for election to our Board by an activist shareholder, the failure to execute our growth strategy successfully or to compete effectively in our markets, our dependence on collaborations over which we may not always have full control, possible adverse impact of government regulation and changes in the availability of reimbursement for our products, problems with our manufacturing processes and our reliance on third parties, fluctuations in our operating results, our ability to protect our intellectual property rights and the cost of doing so, the risks of doing business internationally and the other risks and uncertainties that are described in Item 1.A. Risk Factors in our reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and in other periodic and current reports we file with the SEC. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

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