Zolgensma sales increase by $35M

BASEL, Switzerland — AveXis Inc.’s parent company Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) said the soon-to-be Longmont-made genetic drug Zolgensma saw global sales rise to north of $200 million last quarter.

The company’s second-quarter report out Tuesday shows the company sold $205 million of the drug, a $35 million increase from the period prior. Novartis said the increase came partially due to three new U.S. states adding newborn screening of spinal muscular atrophy, meaning about 60% of new American children are being tested for the genetic condition. The sales growth was also driven with the approval of the drug for sale in Japan.

Spinal muscular atrophy inhibits the ability in infants to develop strength in their spines and kills the majority of patients before they reach the age of 2.

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Zolgensma, which is a one-time intravenous infusion, fixes the genetic issue that causes SMA. It remains the most expensive drug in the world per dose with a $2.1 million sticker price.

AveXis is based in the Chicagoland area but recently began the process of getting federal approval to make Zolgensma at the 692,000-square-foot plant in Longmont formerly owned by AstraZeneca PLC (NYSE: AZN). Its sister plant in Boulder was previously owned by AstraZeneca, but is soon to be occupied by Japanese contract manufacturer AGC Biologics. 

At full capacity, the plant could produce between 800 to 1,200 doses to treat SMA.

Zolgensma’s sales pattern has been up-and-down in recent months. It reached sales of $186 million in the last quarter of 2019, but fell to $170 million in the first quarter of 2020.

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