Biogen vs Toyota: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: Biogen and Toyota side by side

1. 1937Toyota

   Toyota Motor Corporation incorporated

   Toyota Motor Corporation was incorporated after Kiichiro Toyoda expanded the Toyoda family business from automatic looms into automobile manufacturing.

2. 1955Toyota

   Toyopet Crown launched

   The Toyopet Crown gave Toyota a postwar passenger-car platform and later became its first passenger car exported to the United States.

3. 1966Toyota

   Corolla launched

   Toyota launched the Corolla, a compact car that became central to its mass-market export strategy.

4. 1978Biogen

   Biotechnology Geneva founded

   Walter Gilbert, Phillip Sharp, Kenneth Murray, Heinz Schaller and Charles Weissmann founded the company in Geneva, Switzerland as Biotechnology Geneva to turn recombinant DNA research into medicines.

5. 1980Biogen

   Alpha interferon cloned

   Charles Weissmann's Zurich laboratory cloned human alpha interferon and produced it in bacteria. The technology was licensed to Schering-Plough, which sold it as Intron A.

6. 1983Biogen

   Initial public offering

   Biogen listed its shares during the first wave of biotechnology IPOs and expanded research in Europe and the United States.

7. 1985Biogen

   James Vincent restructures the company

   With about $100 million of accumulated losses, Biogen hired James L. Vincent as CEO. He cut costs and relied on royalties from licensed interferon and hepatitis B technology.

8. 1989Toyota

   Lexus launches

   Toyota launched Lexus with the LS 400, moving into premium vehicles with a quality-led strategy.

9. 1996Biogen

   Avonex approved for multiple sclerosis

   The FDA approved Avonex (interferon beta-1a) for relapsing MS. It was Biogen's first drug sold under its own name and the start of its MS franchise.

10. 1997Toyota

    Prius launches in Japan

    Toyota launched the Prius, turning hybrid technology into a mass-produced passenger vehicle.

11. 2003Biogen

    Merger with IDEC Pharmaceuticals

    Biogen merged with San Diego's IDEC Pharmaceuticals, maker of Rituxan with Genentech, in a deal valued at about $6.8 billion. The combined company took the name Biogen Idec.

12. 2004Biogen

    Tysabri approved, then withdrawn

    The FDA approved Tysabri (natalizumab) for MS in November 2004. It was withdrawn in February 2005 after cases of the brain infection PML and returned in 2006 with a risk-management program.

13. 2013Biogen

    Tecfidera launch and full Tysabri rights

    The FDA approved the oral MS drug Tecfidera in March 2013, and Biogen paid Elan $3.25 billion for full rights to Tysabri.

14. 2015Biogen

    Name returns to Biogen

    Biogen Idec shortened its name to Biogen in March 2015 to reflect its focus on neuroscience.

15. 2016Biogen

    Spinraza approved for SMA

    The FDA approved Spinraza (nusinersen), developed with Ionis, in December 2016 as the first treatment for spinal muscular atrophy. Its list price was $750,000 for the first year.

16. 2016Toyota

    Acquired Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.

    Toyota Motor acquired Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd..

17. 2017Biogen

    Bioverativ spin-off

    Biogen spun off its hemophilia business as Bioverativ in February 2017 to concentrate on neuroscience. Sanofi bought Bioverativ in 2018 for $11.6 billion.

18. 2020Biogen

    Tecfidera patent loss

    A US court invalidated a key Tecfidera patent in a challenge brought by Mylan, opening the US market to generic dimethyl fumarate. Biogen's revenue fell from $13.44 billion in 2020 to $10.98 billion in 2021.

19. 2021Biogen

    Aduhelm accelerated approval

    On June 7, 2021 the FDA granted accelerated approval to Aduhelm (aducanumab) for Alzheimer's disease despite mixed trial results. At $56,000 a year and with limited insurance coverage, the launch failed.

20. 2021Toyota

    Acquired Lyft Level 5

    Toyota Motor acquired Lyft Level 5 for $550 million.

21. 2021Toyota

    Acquired CARMERA

    Toyota Motor acquired CARMERA.

22. 2022Biogen

    Christopher Viehbacher becomes CEO

    Former Sanofi CEO Christopher Viehbacher took over from Michel Vounatsos on November 14, 2022. Earlier that year Biogen agreed to pay $900 million to settle a False Claims Act kickback suit.

23. 2023Biogen

    Leqembi approval and Reata acquisition

    Leqembi (lecanemab), partnered with Eisai, received full FDA approval in July 2023. In September Biogen completed its $7.3 billion acquisition of Reata, adding Skyclarys, the first approved Friedreich's ataxia drug.

24. 2024Biogen

    Aduhelm discontinued, HI-Bio acquired

    Biogen discontinued Aduhelm in January 2024 to redirect resources to Leqembi, and in July completed the acquisition of Human Immunology Biosciences for $1.15 billion upfront, adding the kidney disease antibody felzartamab.

25. 2025Biogen

    FY2025 revenue of $9.89 billion

    Revenue rose 2.2% to $9.89 billion, with growth products reaching $3.3 billion and free cash flow of $2.1 billion. Biogen also announced a $2 billion investment in its Research Triangle Park manufacturing sites.

26. 2026Biogen

    Apellis acquisition and new dosing approvals

    The FDA approved a high-dose Spinraza regimen in March. Biogen completed its roughly $5.6 billion purchase of Apellis on May 14, and in July the FDA approved the Leqembi Iqlik autoinjector for starting treatment.

27. 2026Toyota

    Kenta Kon becomes president and CEO

    Kenta Kon became president and CEO on April 1, 2026, while Koji Sato moved to vice chairman and chief industry officer.

28. 2026Toyota

    FY2026 sales revenues reach ~$340B (JPY 50.685T)

    Toyota reported FY2026 sales revenues of ~$340 billion (JPY 50,684.952 billion) and net income attributable to Toyota Motor Corporation of ~$25.8 billion (JPY 3,848.098 billion).

Acquisitions

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