BeiGene’s globalization story comes of age

BeiGene has very much become a global entity over the past decade and is soon to have a new name — BeOne Medicines — to go with plans to re-domicile in Switzerland. The moves reflect the maturation of a company now bringing in $1 billion in quarterly revenues, and position the biotech to grow its footprint in Europe while reaffirming its commitment to developing affordable cancer drugs.

For Chairman and CEO John Oyler, the new name is multifaceted. It represents patients’ hopes to “Be” free of disease, while “One” reflects the unity necessary among the community of patients, biotechs, scientists, healthcare providers and caregivers to treat cancer, as well as the unity of his own team, now numbering nearly 11,000. BeiGene Ltd. (NASDAQ:BGNE; HKEX:6160; Shanghai:688235) will also get the new ticker “ONC” for its NASDAQ listing, signaling a “redoubled commitment to oncology,” it said in a statement...