Pharmion
- Company typePublic
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersBoulder, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Pharmion does
Pharmion was a specialty biopharmaceutical company that acquired, developed, and commercialized pharmaceutical products for the treatment of hematology and oncology patients. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, the company was publicly listed on NASDAQ under the ticker PHRM and maintained a workforce of approximately 251-500 employees. The company's strategic focus on blood disorders and cancer placed it in therapeutic areas characterized by high unmet medical need, targeting patients with serious hematologic and oncologic conditions.
Pharmion operated a prescription pharmaceutical business model, distributing approved and investigational medicines through established channels including pharmaceutical wholesalers, specialty pharmacies, hospitals, and direct contracts with healthcare providers and payers. The company engaged prescribing specialists such as oncologists and hematologists through field sales teams, and negotiated formulary placement and reimbursement with pharmacy benefit managers and insurance providers. Pricing was managed through confidential negotiated contracts with payers rather than public list pricing, consistent with prescription biopharmaceutical industry practice. The company raised $105M in two private financing rounds during 2001-2002 and executed at least one inorganic pipeline addition through the 2006 acquisition of Cabrellis Pharmaceuticals.
The company was acquired by Celgene in 2003, integrating its oncology and hematology assets into Celgene's portfolio. Celgene was subsequently acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2019 for $74 billion, one of the largest pharmaceutical mergers in history. As a result, Pharmion no longer operates as an independent entity, with its former assets now part of BMS's oncology and hematology franchises.
Pharmion firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pharmion
- Legal name
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
- Website
- https://pharmion.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pharmion industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Biopharmaceuticals
- NAICS
- Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (32541), Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412)
- SIC
- Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Oncology & Hematology Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Oncology Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAA), Specialty Care Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAB)
Keywords
Where Pharmion is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boulder
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Pharmion business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Pharmion product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pharmion engaged in the acquisition, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products for the treatment of hematology and oncology patients. The company operated as a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on blood disorders and cancer treatments, building its portfolio through targeted acquisitions and in-house development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hematology and oncology pharmaceutical products
Companies that use Pharmion
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Pharmion technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Pharmion partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Pharmion competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pharmacyclics: Specialty biopharma centered on hematologic malignancies and oncology; mirrors Pharmion's hematology-centric, acquisition-friendly growth model and was acquired by AbbVie in 2015.
- Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Specialty pharma built around acquired/in-licensed products in oncology and hematology-supportive care; the closest functional analog to Pharmion's 'acquire, develop, commercialize' playbook.
- Onyx Pharmaceuticals: Mid-cap oncology-focused biopharma with comparable strategic profile to Pharmion; competed in similar hematology/oncology indications and was ultimately acquired by Amgen in 2013.
- Millennium Pharmaceuticals (Takeda Oncology): Oncology/hematology-focused biopharma that, like Pharmion, scaled through acquisition and in-licensing before being absorbed into a larger parent (Takeda, 2008).
- MGI Pharma: Specialty biopharmaceutical company of similar vintage focused on oncology and hematology supportive care; directly comparable to Pharmion's acquisition-and-commercialization model and was itself acquired by Eisai in 2007.
- Cell Therapeutics (CTI BioPharma): Specialty oncology/hematology developer with a similar niche-drug commercialization profile to Pharmion, overlapping on blood-disorder and cancer therapeutics for small patient populations.
Emerging players
- Genta Incorporated: Emerging oncology biopharma working on blood-cancer therapeutics; narrower portfolio than Pharmion but directly comparable in therapeutic-area targeting.
- SuperGen: Smaller specialty oncology/hematology developer with overlapping therapeutic focus on blood cancers and supportive care; a relevant sub-scale peer in the same niche.
Broad incumbents
- Celgene: Direct acquirer of Pharmion in 2003 and a larger specialty biopharma in hematology/oncology; comparable portfolio focus and one of the most relevant transaction comps for Pharmion's strategy.
- Genzyme: Established specialty biopharma with a strong hematology/oncology and rare-disease portfolio; comparable commercial model of in-licensing/acquiring niche therapeutics for high-unmet-need populations.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Pharmion social profiles
Digital presencePharmion financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pharmion leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Pharmion funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors11 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pharmion M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pharmion
What does Pharmion do?
Pharmion engaged in the acquisition, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products for the treatment of hematology and oncology patients. The company operated as a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on blood disorders and cancer treatments, building its portfolio through targeted acquisitions and in-house development.
Is Pharmion a public or private company?
Pharmion is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Pharmion founded?
Pharmion was founded in 1987. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Pharmion based?
Pharmion is headquartered in Boulder, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Pharmion's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pharmacyclics, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Millennium Pharmaceuticals (Takeda Oncology), MGI Pharma and Cell Therapeutics (CTI BioPharma). Emerging players are Genta Incorporated and SuperGen. Broad incumbents are Celgene and Genzyme.
Does Pharmion have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pharmion.
What industry is Pharmion in?
Pharmion's product category is Specialty Biopharmaceuticals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAIAAAC, Oncology & Hematology Pharmaceuticals, with a secondary code of HLAIACAA, Oncology Specialty Pharmaceuticals. Its NAICS code is 32541 and its SIC code is 2834.