In addition, limited disease can be considered severe if occurring on critical areas such as the palms or soles. Although individuals with mild psoriasis can often control their disease with topical agents, more than one million patients worldwide require ultraviolet or systemic immunosuppressive therapy. Unfortunately, the inconvenience and risks of ultraviolet radiation and the toxicities of many therapies limit their long-term use. Moreover, patients usually have recurrence of psoriasis, and in some cases rebound, shortly after stopping immunosuppressive therapy. These statements are based on the Company's current beliefs and expectations as to such future outcomes.
Drug development involves a high degree of risk.
Factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's current expectations include the risk that the product may not show the same therapeutic effect or safety profile in Phase III trials or that problems or delays may arise during the development and testing of the commercial manufacturing process and product or in connection with the regulatory approval process if the Company is successful in its clinical trial efforts, as well as the other risks and uncertainties described from time to time in the Company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Biogen, Inc., winner of the U.S. National Medal of Technology, is a biopharmaceutical company principally engaged in discovering and developing drugs for human healthcare through genetic engineering. Biogen's research and development activities are focused on novel products to treat inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, neurological diseases, cancer, fibrosis and congestive heart failure. The Company maintains active clinical research programs in protein therapeutics, small molecules, genomics and gene therapy.