<SEC-DOCUMENT>0000875045-17-000019.txt : 20170623
<SEC-HEADER>0000875045-17-000019.hdr.sgml : 20170623
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20170510125530
<PRIVATE-TO-PUBLIC>
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0000875045-17-000019
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20170510

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			BIOGEN INC.
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000875045
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS (NO DIAGNOSTIC SUBSTANCES) [2836]
		IRS NUMBER:				330112644
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		CORRESP

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		225 BINNEY STREET
		CITY:			CAMBRIDGE
		STATE:			MA
		ZIP:			02142
		BUSINESS PHONE:		7814642000

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		225 BINNEY STREET
		CITY:			CAMBRIDGE
		STATE:			MA
		ZIP:			02142

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	BIOGEN IDEC INC.
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	20070427

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	BIOGEN IDEC INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	20031112

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	IDEC PHARMACEUTICALS CORP / DE
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19970530
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>CORRESP
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>filename1.htm
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<div><a name="sE398CB8B80FD53802F9DD9D73668045E"></a></div><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><div><br></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">May&#160;10, 2017</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">By EDGAR Submission</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">Division of Corporation Finance</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">United States Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">100 F Street, N.E.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">Washington, D.C. 20549</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Attention:&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</font><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">Jim B. Rosenberg </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">Senior Assistant Chief Accountant </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">Office of Healthcare and Insurance </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Re: &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Biogen Inc. </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2016 </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Filed February 2, 2017 </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;text-indent:96px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">File No. 000-19311 </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">Dear Mr. Rosenberg,</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">On behalf of Biogen Inc. (the "Company"), I am writing in response to the supplemental comment letter dated May 3, 2017 submitted to the Company from the Division of Corporation Finance (the "Staff") of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") regarding the Company&#8217;s Form 10-K dated February&#160;2, 2017 for the fiscal year ended December&#160;31, 2016. For your convenience, the Staff&#8217;s initial comment is included below. Capitalized terms used in this letter but not defined have the meanings assigned to them in my letter to you dated April 4, 2017.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;text-decoration:underline;">Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;text-decoration:underline;">Note 21 - Commitments and Contingencies </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;text-decoration:underline;">TECFIDERA Litigation Settlement and License Agreement, page F-67</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;">Comment:</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman; font-size:10pt;"><tr><td style="width:48px;"></td><td></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:top"><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;padding-left:24px;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">1.</font></div></td><td style="vertical-align:top;"><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;">We have reviewed your response to prior comment one of our March 23, 2017 letter regarding your January 2017 settlement and license agreement (&#8220;the agreement&#8221;) with Forward Pharma. Please confirm you had exclusive rights to the U.S. license or the right to sell or transfer the license upon entering into the agreement. If you did not have such rights, tell us, citing relevant accounting literature, how you determined recognition of the license as an intangible asset is appropriate. In this regard, we note Sections 3.01 and 3.02 of the agreement included in Exhibit 10.1 of your January 17, 2017 Form 8-K describe a co-exclusive license and indicate that a notice specifying your intention to take the exclusive U.S. license should be delivered on or prior to the date that is 75 days following the final decision in the Interference Proceeding. It is our understanding that the PTAB did not issue a ruling on the Interference Proceeding until March 2017.</font></div></td></tr></table><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;">Response:</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">Under the License Agreement, we received a perpetual, irrevocable, co-exclusive license in the United States to all intellectual property of Forward Pharma, including Forward Pharma&#8217;s intellectual property which is related to TECFIDERA (collectively, the &#8220;U.S. Licensed Intellectual Property&#8221;). While our license rights are currently co-exclusive, we confirm that upon our payment of the upfront license fee in February 2017 and pursuant to Section 3.01 of the License Agreement, we have the unilateral right, at all times, to &#8220;sublicense, transfer or assign&#8221; our license to the U.S. Licensed Intellectual Property. Accordingly, we recognized the license as an intangible asset in accordance with ASC 805-20-55-2 and 3, </font><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;font-style:italic;">Intangibles - Goodwill and Other</font><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">. Under this guidance, intangible assets are considered identifiable if they satisfy (1) the contractual-legal criterion (the intangible asset arises from contractual or legal rights) and (2) the separability criterion (the intangible asset is able to be sold, transferred, licensed, rented or exchanged separately). </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">The Company acknowledges that the Company and its management are responsible for the accuracy and adequacy of its disclosure, notwithstanding any review, comments, action or absence of action by the Staff.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div><br></div><div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">1</font></div></div><hr style="page-break-after:always"><div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div></div><div><br></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">If you have any questions or comments regarding the foregoing, please contact the undersigned at 781-464-2049.</font></div><div style="line-height:120%;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><br></font></div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><div style="padding-left:0px;text-indent:0px;line-height:normal;padding-top:10px;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;width:52.734375%;border-collapse:collapse;text-align:left;"><tr><td colspan="1"></td></tr><tr><td style="width:100%;"></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">Sincerely,</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;height:20px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">&#160;</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;border-bottom:1px solid #000000;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">/s/ Paul J. Clancy</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">Paul J. Clancy</font></div></td></tr><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;padding-left:2px;padding-top:2px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-right:2px;"><div style="text-align:left;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer</font></div></td></tr></table></div></div><div><br></div><div><div style="line-height:120%;text-align:center;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:Franklin Gothic Book,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">2</font></div></div>	</body>
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