United states securities and exchange commission

Table of Contents
11
Neuromuscular Diseases
SMA is characterized by loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord and lower brain stem, resulting in severe and 
progressive muscular atrophy and weakness. Ultimately, individuals with the most severe type of SMA can become 
paralyzed and have difficulty performing the basic functions of life, like breathing and swallowing. Due to a loss of, or 
defect in, the SMN1 gene, people with SMA do not produce enough survival motor neuron (SMN) protein, which is 
critical for the maintenance of motor neurons. The severity of SMA correlates with the amount of SMN protein. 
People with Type 1 SMA, the most severe life-threatening form, produce very little SMN protein and do not achieve 
the ability to sit without support or live beyond two years without respiratory support. People with Type 2 and Type 3 
SMA produce greater amounts of SMN protein and have less severe, but still life-altering, forms of SMA.
In December 2016 the FDA approved SPINRAZA for the treatment of SMA in pediatric and adult patients. In 
June 2017 the EC approved SPINRAZA for the treatment of SMA in pediatric and adult patients in the E.U. The 
Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare approved SPINRAZA for the treatment of infantile SMA in July 2017 
and for the treatment of pediatric and adult patients with SMA in September 2017.
Our products for SMA and major markets include: 
Product
Indication
Collaborator
Major Markets
 
SMA
Ionis
U.S.
France
Germany
Japan
Turkey
Biosimilars
Biosimilars are a group of biologic medicines that are similar to currently available biologic therapies known as 
originators. Under our agreement with Samsung Bioepis, we manufacture and commercialize two anti-TNF biosimilars 
in certain countries in the E.U.: BENEPALI, an etanercept biosimilar referencing ENBREL, and FLIXABI, an infliximab 
biosimilar referencing REMICADE. In August 2017 the EC granted a marketing authorization for IMRALDI, an 
adalimumab biosimilar referencing HUMIRA, in the E.U. 
Product
Indication
Major Markets
Moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis
Progressive psoriatic arthritis
Axial spondyloarthritis
Moderate to severe plaque psoriasis
Germany
Norway
Sweden
U.K.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Moderate to severe Crohn's disease
Severe ulcerative colitis
Severe ankylosing spondylitis
Psoriatic arthritis
Moderate to severe plaque psoriasis
Germany

---

Table of Contents
12
Genentech Relationships
We have a collaboration agreement with Genentech that entitles us to certain business and financial rights 
with respect to RITUXAN, GAZYVA, OCREVUS and other anti-CD20 product candidates. Current products include:
Product
Indication
Major Markets
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
CLL
Rheumatoid arthritis
Two forms of ANCA-associated vasculitis
U.S.
Canada
In combination with chlorambucil for previously untreated CLL
Follicular lymphoma
U.S.
RMS
PPMS
U.S.
Australia
Switzerland
For information about our anti-CD20 therapeutic programs and related agreements with Genentech, please 
read Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, and Note 20, Collaborative and Other Relationships, to our 
consolidated financial statements included in this report.
Other
Product
Indication
Collaborator
Major Markets
Moderate to severe plaque
psoriasis
None
Germany

---

Table of Contents
13
Patient Support and Access
 
We interact with patients, advocacy 
organizations and healthcare societies in order to gain 
insights into unmet needs. The insights gained from 
these engagements help us support patients with 
services, programs and applications that are designed 
to help patients lead better lives. Among other things, 
we provide customer service and other related 
programs for our products, such as disease and 
product specific websites, insurance research 
services, financial assistance programs and the 
facilitation of the procurement of our marketed 
products. 
We are dedicated to helping patients obtain 
access to our therapies. Our patient representatives 
have access to a comprehensive suite of financial 
assistance tools. With those tools, we help patients 
understand their insurance coverage and, if needed, 
help patients compare and select new insurance 
options and programs. In the U.S., we have 
established programs that provide co-pay assistance 
or free marketed product for qualified uninsured or 
underinsured patients, based on specific eligibility 
criteria. We also provide charitable contributions to 
independent charitable organizations that assist 
patients with out-of-pocket expenses associated with 
their therapy.
Marketing and Distribution
Sales Force and Marketing
We promote our products worldwide, including in 
the U.S., most of the major countries of the E.U. and 
Japan, primarily through our own sales forces and 
marketing groups. In some countries, particularly in 
areas where we continue to expand into new 
geographic areas, we partner with third parties. 
We co-promote ZINBRYTA with AbbVie in the 
U.S., E.U. and Canadian territories and BENEPALI and 
FLIXABI with Samsung Bioepis in certain countries in 
the E.U.
We and Eisai co-promote AVONEX, TYSABRI and 
TECFIDERA in Japan in certain settings.
RITUXAN, GAZYVA and OCREVUS are marketed 
by the Roche Group and its sublicensees.
We focus our sales and marketing efforts on 
specialist physicians in private practice or at major 
medical centers. We use customary pharmaceutical 
company practices to market our products and to 
educate physicians, such as sales representatives 
calling on individual physicians, advertisements, 
professional symposia, direct mail, public relations 
and other methods. 
Distribution Arrangements
We distribute our products in the U.S. principally 
through wholesale distributors of pharmaceutical 
products, mail order specialty distributors or shipping 
service providers. In other countries, the distribution 
of our products varies from country to country, 
including through wholesale distributors of 
pharmaceutical products and third-party distribution 
partners who are responsible for most marketing and 
distribution activities.
AbbVie distributes ZINBRYTA in the U.S., and we 
distribute ZINBRYTA in ex-U.S. markets. 
We distribute BENEPALI and FLIXABI in certain 
countries in the E.U.
Eisai distributes AVONEX, TYSABRI, TECFIDERA 
and PLEGRIDY in India and other Asia-Pacific markets, 
excluding China.
RITUXAN, GAZYVA and OCREVUS are distributed 
by the Roche Group and its sublicensees.
Our product sales to two wholesale distributors, 
AmerisourceBergen and McKesson, each accounted 
for more than 10% of our total revenues for the years 
ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, and on 
a combined basis, accounted for approximately 56%, 
57% and 60% of our gross product revenues for the 
years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, 
respectively. For additional information, please read 
Note 25, Segment Information, to our consolidated 
financial statements included in this report.
Patents and Other Proprietary Rights
Patents are important to obtaining and 
protecting exclusive rights in our products and product 
candidates. We regularly seek patent protection in the 
U.S. and in selected countries outside the U.S. for 
inventions originating from our research and 
development efforts. In addition, we license rights to 
various patents and patent applications. 
U.S. patents, as well as most foreign patents, 
are generally effective for 20 years from the date the 
earliest application was filed; however, U.S. patents 
that issue on applications filed before June 8, 
1995 may be effective until 17 years from the issue 
date, if that is later than the 20-year date. In some 
cases, the patent term may be extended to recapture 
a portion of the term lost during regulatory review of 
the claimed therapeutic or, in the case of the U.S., 
because of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) 
delays in prosecuting the application. Specifically, in 
the U.S., under the Drug Price Competition and Patent 
Term Restoration Act of 1984, commonly known as 
the Hatch-Waxman Act, a patent that covers an FDA-
approved drug may be eligible for patent term 

---