Fast-growing Biogen Idec bursts the seams at new Cambridge HQ

Biogen CEO George Scangos

When George Scangos took the helm at Biogen Idec ($BIIB), he left little doubt that he couldn't much stand the company's gleaming new headquarters in Weston, MA, the brainchild of ex-CEO Jim Mullen. R&D in Cambridge was where it was at, and that's where he spent the bulk of his time. So once he had established the company's reputation as a resurgent biotech with a clear game plan for growth, he had little opposition to his announcement that the company headquarters would be moved back to Cambridge, the heart of the region's thriving biotech hub.

But a funny thing happened on the way to Kendall Square. Now that the MS drug Tecfidera has launched, with new numbers demonstrating the blockbuster potential expected by a number of analysts, the fast-growing staff can't fit in the new facility taking shape in Cambridge. Now commercial operations are expected to stay in Weston, reports the Boston Business Journal. And finance and IT support is staying as well--at least for now.

The final tally is still in flux, reports the BBJ, but musical chairs begins this summer as Cambridge staffers are moved into new digs, followed by the Weston group making the move. There are a total of 1,500 staffers in Cambridge and 950 in Weston currently.

Just don't expect to see any top execs hanging their hats in Weston. Scangos will spend most of his time in Kendall Square, and you can bet the executive crew won't be far away. 

- here's the story from the Boston Business Journal

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