Alkermes plc is a pharmaceutical company that focuses on

central nervous system The central nervous system (CNS) is the part of the nervous system consisting primarily of the brain and spinal cord. The CNS is so named because the brain integrates the received information and coordinates and influences the activity of all par ...

(CNS) diseases like schizophrenia,

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...

, depression,

addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use o ...

and multiple sclerosis. The company was founded in 1987 by Michael Wall. In September 2011 Alkermes, Inc. merged with Elan Drug Technologies (EDT), the former drug formulation and manufacturing division of Élan Corporation, plc. The company is headquartered in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, and has an R&D center in

Waltham, Massachusetts Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, th ...

, and manufacturing facilities in

Athlone Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, and

Wilmington, Ohio Wilmington is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 12,660 at the 2020 census. At city entrances from state routes, county roads, and U.S. highways, the city slogan of "We Honor Our Champions" is ...

Products

Alkermes has more than 20 commercial drug products and candidates that address serious and chronic illnesses, including schizophrenia, depression, addiction, and diabetes mellitus. Among these products, five are primary to the company:

risperidone Risperidone, sold under the brand name Risperdal among others, is an atypical antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It is taken either by mouth or by injection (subcutaneous or intramuscular). The injectable versions ...

(microspheres) long-acting injectable (''Risperdal Consta'') for schizophrenia and bipolar 1 disorder,

paliperidone palmitate Paliperidone palmitate (PP), sold under the brand name Invega Sustenna among others, is an atypical antipsychotic which is used in the treatment of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. It is an antipsychotic ester – specifically the pal ...

(''Invega Sustenna'' in the U.S., ''Xeplion'' in Europe) for schizophrenia, 4-aminopyridine (''Ampyra'' in the U.S., ''Fampyra'' in Europe) to improve walking in patients with multiple sclerosis,

naltrexone Naltrexone, sold under the brand name Revia among others, is a medication primarily used to manage alcohol or opioid use disorder by reducing cravings and feelings of euphoria associated with substance use disorder. It has also been found t ...

for extended-release injectable suspension (''Vivitrol'') for alcohol and opioid use disorders, and

exenatide Exenatide, sold under the brand name Byetta and Bydureon among others, is a medication used to treat diabetes mellitus type 2. It is used together with diet, exercise, and potentially other antidiabetic medication. It is a treatment option after ...

extended-release for injectable suspension (''Bydureon'') for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. ''Bydureon'' is a once-weekly, extended-release form of the drug exenatide (''Byetta''), and was developed through a partnership between

Amylin Pharmaceuticals Amylin Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company based in San Diego, CA, that was founded in 1987. The company was engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of drug candidates for the treatment of diabetes, obesity and othe ...

, Alkermes and

Eli Lilly Eli Lilly (July 8, 1838 – June 6, 1898) was an American soldier, pharmacist, chemist, and businessman who founded the Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceutical corporation. Lilly enlisted in the Union Army during the American Civil War and r ...

. It is approved in Europe and the U.S. Olanzapine/samidorphan (''Lybalvi'') is an

atypical antipsychotic The atypical antipsychotics (AAP), also known as second generation antipsychotics (SGAs) and serotonin–dopamine antagonists (SDAs), are a group of antipsychotic drugs (antipsychotic drugs in general are also known as major tranquilizers and ne ...

and opioid modulator combination intended for the treatment of

schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdra ...

and bipolar

mania Mania, also known as manic syndrome, is a mental and behavioral disorder defined as a state of abnormally elevated arousal, affect, and energy level, or "a state of heightened overall activation with enhanced affective expression together wit ...

; the addition of samidorphan is intended to reduce the risk of weight gain and metabolic syndrome associated with olanzapine alone. In June 2021, ALKS-3831 was accepted under the brand name ''Lybalvi'' for use in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, in the latter as both an acute treatment for

and

mixed episodes A mixed affective state, formerly known as a mixed-manic or mixed episode, has been defined as a state wherein features unique to both depression and mania—such as episodes of despair, doubt, anguish, rage or homicidal ideation, suicidal ideat ...

as well as a maintenance therapy alone or in combination with

lithium Lithium (from el, λίθος, lithos, lit=stone) is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the least dense solid el ...

valproate Valproate (VPA) and its valproic acid, sodium valproate, and valproate semisodium forms are medications primarily used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder and prevent migraine headaches. They are useful for the prevention of seizures in those ...

. In November 2022, Alkermes announced that it planned to spin out the interleukin-2 (IL-2) drug nemvaleukin alfa and two additional

cytokine Cytokines are a broad and loose category of small proteins (~5–25 kDa) important in cell signaling. Cytokines are peptides and cannot cross the lipid bilayer of cells to enter the cytoplasm. Cytokines have been shown to be involved in autocrin ...

therapeutics into a separate

oncology Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...

company.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alkermes Pharmaceutical companies of Ireland Manufacturing companies based in Dublin (city) Companies listed on the Nasdaq Life sciences industry Tax inversions