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): March 22, 2010
Biogen Idec Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware |
0-19311 |
33-0112644 |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(Commission file number) |
(IRS Employer |
14 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts |
02142 | |
(Address of principal executive offices) |
(Zip Code) | |
| ||
|
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):
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
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 March 20, 2010, Biogen Idec Inc. (the Company), Carl C. Icahn and certain funds affiliated with Mr. Icahn (the Icahn Group) entered into an agreement (the Agreement) pursuant to which the Icahn Group agreed to withdraw its notice (the Notice) of nomination of directors and business for the 2010 annual meeting of stockholders (the Annual Meeting). Pursuant to the Notice, the Icahn Group was proposing to amend the Companys Bylaws to limit the size of the Companys Board and to nominate three individuals, Dr. Eric K. Rowinsky, Dr. Thomas F. Deuel and Professor Richard A. Young, to the Companys Board at the Annual Meeting.
Under the terms of the Agreement, among other things,
The Icahn Group has agreed (1) to withdraw the Notice, (2) not to conduct, support or participate in, or take certain other actions related to, any proxy or consent solicitations for the Annual Meeting and (3) to vote its shares of Company common stock in favor of the directors nominated by the Companys Board for election at the Annual Meeting.
The Company has appointed Dr. Eric K. Rowinsky and Dr. Stephen A. Sherwin to the Companys Board effective March 20, 2010 and will include them in the Companys slate of nominees at the Annual Meeting. Dr. Rowinsky was proposed as a nominee to the Companys Board by the Icahn Group and Dr. Sherwin was selected by the Company as part of its process to identify new directors.
Dr. Rowinsky will serve as a member of the Compensation and Management Development Committee of the Companys Board. Dr. Sherwin will serve as a member of the Corporate Governance Committee of the Companys Board. Upon their appointment to the Companys Board, each of Drs. Rowinsky and Sherwin were awarded an initial grant of stock options to purchase 35,000 shares of the Companys common stock, an additional grant of stock options to purchase 1,325 shares of the Companys common stock and a grant of 500 restricted stock units, each under the Biogen Idec Inc. 2006 Non-Employee Directors Equity Plan.
A copy of the Agreement is filed with this Form 8-K and attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated by reference herein. The foregoing description of the Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Agreement. The press release announcing these matters is attached as Exhibit 99.2 hereto.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
Exhibits:
99.1 |
|
Agreement, dated March 20, 2010, by and among Biogen Idec Inc. and certain entities affiliated with Carl C. Icahn |
99.2 |
|
Biogen Idec Inc. Press Release, dated March 22, 2010 |
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.
Biogen Idec Inc.
By: /s/ Robert A. Licht
Robert A. Licht
Senior Vice President
Date: March 22, 2010
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit No. Description
99.1 Agreement, dated March 20, 2010, by and among Biogen Idec Inc. and certain entities affiliated with Carl C. Icahn
99.2 Biogen Idec Inc. Press Release, dated March 22, 2010
Exhibit 99.1
AGREEMENT
This Agreement dated March 20, 2010 (this Agreement), is by and among the persons and entities listed on Schedule A (collectively, the Icahn Group, and individually a member of the Icahn Group) and Biogen Idec Inc. (on behalf of itself and its Board of Directors, as defined herein) (the Company). In consideration of and reliance upon the mutual covenants and agreements contained herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:
if to the Company: Biogen Idec Inc.
14 Cambridge Center
Cambridge, MA 02142
Attention: General Counsel
Facsimile: (617) 679-2617
with a copy to: Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
51 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
Attention: Patricia A. Vlahakis
Facsimile: (212) 403-2000
if to the Icahn Group: Icahn Capital LP
767 Fifth Avenue, 47th Floor
New York, NY 10153
Attention: Marc Weitzen
Facsimile: (212) 688-1158
[Signature Pages Follow]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties hereto has executed this Agreement, or caused the same to be executed by its duly authorized representative as of the date first above written.
BIOGEN IDEC INC.
By: /s/ William D. Young
Name: William D. Young
Title: Chairman
ICAHN PARTNERS MASTER FUND LP
ICAHN PARTNERS MASTER FUND II LP
ICAHN PARTNERS MASTER FUND III LP
ICAHN OFFSHORE LP
ICAHN PARTNERS LP
ICAHN ONSHORE LP
ICAHN CAPITAL LP
IPH GP LLC
ICAHN ENTERPRISES G.P. INC.
ICAHN ENTERPRISES HOLDINGS L.P.
BECKTON CORP.
HOPPER INVESTMENTS LLC
BARBERRY CORP.
HIGH RIVER LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
By: Hopper Investments LLC, general partner
By: /s/ Edward Mattner
Name: Edward Mattner
Title: Authorized Signatory
ICAHN CAPITAL LP
By: IPH GP LLC, its general partner
By: Icahn Enterprises Holdings L.P., its sole member
By: Icahn Enterprises G.P. Inc., its general partner
IPH GP LLC
By: Icahn Enterprises Holdings L.P., its sole member
By: Icahn Enterprises G.P. Inc., its general partner
ICAHN ENTERPRISES HOLDINGS L.P.
By: Icahn Enterprises G.P. Inc., its general partner
ICAHN ENTERPRISES G.P. INC.
By: /s/ Dominick Ragone
Name: Dominick Ragone
Title: Chief Financial Officer
CARL C. ICAHN
/s/ Carl C. Icahn
Schedule A
High River Limited Partnership
Hopper Investments LLC
Barberry Corp.
Icahn Partners Master Fund LP
Icahn Partners Master Fund II LP
Icahn Partners Master Fund III LP
Icahn Offshore LP
Icahn Partners LP
Ichan Onshore LP
Icahn Capital LP
IPH GP LLC
Icahn Enterprises Holdings L.P.
Icahn Enterprises G.P. Inc.
Beckton Corp.
Carl C. Icahn
Exhibit B
BIOGEN IDEC APPOINTS ERIC ROWINSKY AND STEPHEN SHERWIN TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS PURSUANT TO AGREEMENT WITH ICAHN PARTNERS
Icahn Agrees To Support Company Nominees
At 2010 Annual Meeting
Cambridge, Mass., March [●], 2010 -- Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) today announced that Dr. Eric K. Rowinsky and Dr. Stephen A. Sherwin have been appointed to its Board of Directors pursuant to an agreement with Icahn Partners. Dr. Rowinsky was proposed as a nominee to the Board by Icahn Partners and Dr. Sherwin was selected by the Company as part of its process to identify new directors.
Under the terms of the agreement, Icahn Partners has agreed to vote its shares at the 2010 Annual Meeting for Biogen Idecs nominees, who will include current directors Nancy L. Leaming and Brian S. Posner as well as Drs. Rowinsky and Sherwin. In addition, under the terms of the agreement, Icahn Partners will withdraw its notice of nomination of persons for election as directors and its proposal to amend Biogen Idecs Bylaws to limit the size of the Board.
Biogen Idec has temporarily increased the number of seats on the Board from 12 to 13. James C. Mullen and Bruce R. Ross will complete their current terms and, as previously announced, will not stand for reelection at the 2010 Annual Meeting. Following the 2010 Annual Meeting, there will be 12 seats on the Board.
William D. Young, Chairman of the Board of Directors, said, "We believe that adding Drs. Sherwin and Rowinsky, both of whom bring relevant skills and significant industry experience to the Board, is a positive outcome for Biogen Idec and its stockholders and we look forward to working with them.
Carl Icahn, founder and CEO of Icahn Partners, said, "I am pleased we were able to reach an agreement that is in stockholders best interests. The nominees who will replace Messrs. Mullen and Ross are extremely qualified and I believe will add great value to Biogen. We look forward to continuing to work together constructively to drive performance and increase shareholder value."
The agreement between Biogen Idec and Icahn Partners LP will be filed in a Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company expects to file its proxy materials for the 2010 Annual Meeting in the near future.
Biography of Dr. Eric K. Rowinsky
Dr. Rowinsky, 53, has served as a director at Adventrx Pharmaceuticals (AMEX: ANX) since February 2008. Dr. Rowinsky recently served as Executive Vice President Clinical Development and Regulatory at ImClone Systems Incorporated, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company. Prior to joining ImClone Systems in 2005, Dr. Rowinsky focused his academic efforts in cancer drug development as the Director of Clinical Research and later Director of the Institute for Drug Development of the Cancer Therapy and Research Center in San Antonio and the SBC Endowed Chair for Early Drug Development from 1996 to 2005. He was also Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio from 1996 to 2006. From 1987 to 1996, Dr. Rowinsky served as an Associate Professor of Oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He was a longstanding NCI principal investigator on U01 anticancer drug development grants and integrally involved in pivotal clinical and preclinical investigations which led to the development of paclitaxel, docetaxel, topotecan, irinotecan, erlotinib and gefitinib, among others. Dr. Rowinsky's honors include receipt of the career development award of the American Cancer Society and the 6th Annual Emil J. Freireich Award for outstanding achievement of a young researcher in clinical cancer therapeutics.
Dr. Rowinsky received his B.A. degree from New York University and his M.D. from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Following his residency in internal medicine at the University of California, he completed fellowship training in medical oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Biography of Dr. Stephen A. Sherwin
Dr. Sherwin, 61, has more than 30 years of experience in senior leadership positions at large and small publicly traded biotechnology companies. He co-founded and is Chairman of Ceregene, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the treatment of major neurodegenerative disorders, and Abgenix, Inc., which specialized in the discovery, development and manufacture of human therapeutic antibodies (Abgenix was acquired by Amgen in 2006). He also served as Chairman and CEO of Cell Genesys until its acquisition by BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: BPAX) in July 2009, and he worked at Genentech for seven years including as Vice President of Clinical Research. Dr. Sherwin is currently Chairman of the Biotechnology Industry Organization and is a director of BioSante, Neurocrine BioSciences (NASDAQ: NBIX) and Rigel Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: RIGL).
Dr. Sherwin received his B.A. in biology from Yale University and his M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology.
About Biogen Idec
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 worldwide 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.
Biogen Idec Media Contact:
Amy Reilly, 617-914-6524
Associate Director, Public Affairs
or
Biogen Idec Investor Relations Contact:
Eric Hoffman, 617-679-2812
Director, Investor Relations
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Exhibit 99.2
BIOGEN IDEC APPOINTS ERIC ROWINSKY AND STEPHEN SHERWIN TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS PURSUANT TO AGREEMENT WITH ICAHN PARTNERS
Icahn Agrees To Support Company Nominees At 2010 Annual Meeting
Cambridge, Mass., March 22, 2010 -- Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) today announced that Dr. Eric K. Rowinsky and Dr. Stephen A. Sherwin have been appointed to its Board of Directors pursuant to an agreement with Icahn Partners. Dr. Rowinsky was proposed as a nominee to the Board by Icahn Partners and Dr. Sherwin was selected by the Company as part of its process to identify new directors.
Under the terms of the agreement, Icahn Partners has agreed to vote its shares at the 2010 Annual Meeting for Biogen Idec’s nominees, who will include current directors Nancy L. Leaming and Brian S. Posner as well as Drs. Rowinsky and Sherwin. In addition, under the terms of the agreement, Icahn Partners will withdraw its notice of nomination of persons for election as directors and its proposal to amend Biogen Idec’s Bylaws to limit the size of the Board.
Biogen Idec has temporarily increased the number of seats on the Board from 12 to 13. James C. Mullen and Bruce R. Ross will complete their current terms and, as previously announced, will not stand for reelection at the 2010 Annual Meeting. Following the 2010 Annual Meeting, there will be 12 seats on the Board.
William D. Young, Chairman of the Board of Directors, said, “We believe that adding Drs. Sherwin and Rowinsky, both of whom bring relevant skills and significant industry experience to the Board, is a positive outcome for Biogen Idec and its stockholders and we look forward to working with them.”
Carl Icahn, founder and CEO of Icahn Partners, said, “I am pleased we were able to reach an agreement that is in stockholders’ best interests. The nominees who will replace Messrs. Mullen and Ross are extremely qualified and I believe will add great value to Biogen. We look forward to continuing to work together constructively to drive performance and increase shareholder value.”
The agreement between Biogen Idec and Icahn Partners LP will be filed in a Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company expects to file its proxy materials for the 2010 Annual Meeting in the near future.
Biography of Dr. Eric K. Rowinsky
Dr. Rowinsky, 53, has served as a director at Adventrx Pharmaceuticals (AMEX: ANX) since February 2008. Dr. Rowinsky recently served as Executive Vice President Clinical Development and Regulatory at ImClone Systems Incorporated, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company. Prior to joining ImClone Systems in 2005, Dr. Rowinsky focused his academic efforts in cancer drug development as the Director of Clinical Research and later Director of the Institute for Drug Development of the Cancer Therapy and Research Center in San Antonio and the SBC Endowed Chair for Early Drug Development from 1996 to 2005. He was also Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Texas Health
Science Center at San Antonio from 1996 to 2006. From 1987 to 1996, Dr. Rowinsky served as an Associate Professor of Oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He was a longstanding NCI principal investigator on U01 anticancer drug development grants and integrally involved in pivotal clinical and preclinical investigations which led to the development of paclitaxel, docetaxel, topotecan, irinotecan, erlotinib and gefitinib, among others. Dr. Rowinskys honors include receipt of the career development award of the American Cancer Society and the 6th Annual Emil J. Freireich Award for outstanding achievement of a young researcher in clinical cancer therapeutics.
Dr. Rowinsky received his B.A. degree from New York University and his M.D. from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Following his residency in internal medicine at the University of California, he completed fellowship training in medical oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Biography of Dr. Stephen A. Sherwin
Dr. Sherwin, 61, has more than 30 years of experience in senior leadership positions at large and small publicly traded biotechnology companies. He co-founded and is Chairman of Ceregene, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the treatment of major neurodegenerative disorders, and Abgenix, Inc., which specialized in the discovery, development and manufacture of human therapeutic antibodies (Abgenix was acquired by Amgen in 2006). He also served as Chairman and CEO of Cell Genesys until its acquisition by BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: BPAX) in July 2009, and he worked at Genentech for seven years including as Vice President of Clinical Research. Dr. Sherwin is currently Chairman of the Biotechnology Industry Organization and is a director of BioSante, Neurocrine BioSciences (NASDAQ: NBIX) and Rigel Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: RIGL).
Dr. Sherwin received his B.A. in biology from Yale University and his M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology.
About Biogen Idec
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 worldwide 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.
Biogen Idec Media Contact:
Amy Reilly, 617-914-6524
Associate Director, Public Affairs
Biogen Idec Investor Relations Contact:
Kia Khaleghpour, 617-679-2812
Associate Director, Investor Relations
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