Ligand Pharmaceuticals

Ligand Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company based out of San Diego, California that develops programs through a portfolio of assorted strategies and properties in the pharmaceutical industry.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals, originally called Progenx, was founded in September 1987 by Brook Byers. The company's headquarters are in San Diego, California. In January 2007, John Higgins became the new CEO of Ligand and the business was stripped down from 66 employees to 18. When John Higgins became CEO of Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Daniel Loeb of Third Point Management bought into the biotech firm to cut its losses and grow revenue. Loeb invested $50 million, increased the company’s profit to $250 million, and brought back $68 million in stocks.

As of June 2016, Ligand Pharmaceuticals' shares have returned 8.9%. In June 2016, Director John Kozarich sold 1,000 shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals' stock at an average price of $117.42, for a total transaction of $117,420. He now owns 43,361 shares valued at $5,091,448.92.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals is partnered with approximately 120 pharmaceutical companies, which include Captisol and its partnerships.

Ligand Pharmaceuticals' platform technology is Captisol, a chemically modified clathrate compound of the cyclodextrin class designed to improve solubility, stability, bioavailability and dosing of active pharmaceutical ingredients. The technology has enabled seven United States Food and Drug Administration approved products including Kyprolis and Noxafil-IV and is being developed in several clinical-stage partner programs.

Ligand Pharmaceutical's portfolios match the medical needs for patients with diabetes, hepatitis, muscle wasting, Alzheimer’s disease, dyslipidemia, anemia, asthma, osteoporosis, thrombocytopenia, multiple myeloma, and fungal infections.