As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 20, 2024

Registration No. 333-   

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

BIOGEN INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	33-0112644
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

225 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

Biogen Inc. 2024 Omnibus Equity Plan

Biogen Inc. 2024 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

(Full titles of the plans)

Susan H. Alexander, Esq.

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer

Biogen Inc.

225 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142

(617) 679-2000

(Name, address and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

Jonathan J. Katz

Michael L. Arnold

Ryan J. Patrone

Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP

Two Manhattan West

375 9th Avenue

New York, New York 10001

(212) 474-1000

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer	☒	Accelerated filer	☐
Non-accelerated filer	☐	Smaller reporting company	☐
		Emerging growth company	☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

Item 1. Plan Information.

The documents containing the information required by Part I of this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of Biogen Inc. (“Biogen” or “Registrant”), Commission File Number 000-19311, will be sent or given to employees as specified by Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). In accordance with Rule 428 and the requirements of Part I of Form S-8, such documents need not be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 of the Securities Act. These documents and the documents incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

Item 2. Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information.

Upon written or oral request, any of the documents incorporated by reference in Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement (which documents are incorporated by reference in the Section 10(a) prospectus), any other document required to be delivered to participants pursuant to Rule 428(b) under the Securities Act or additional information about any of the plans covered by this Registration Statement is available without charge by contacting:

Wendell Taylor

Chief Corporation Counsel and Secretary

Biogen Inc.

225 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142

(617) 679-2000

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

Biogen hereby incorporates the following documents filed with the Commission herein by reference:

(a) Biogen’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed on February 14, 2024;

(b) Biogen’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2024, filed on April 24, 2024; and

(c) The description of Biogen’s common stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-B filed on June 2, 1997, including any amendment or report updating such description of the common stock.

All documents subsequently filed by Biogen pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents (except that any documents or portions thereof that are furnished and not filed shall be deemed not incorporated). Any statement contained herein or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained in this Registration Statement or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Article X of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, provides for the elimination of personal monetary liabilities of directors and officers of Biogen for any breach of their fiduciary duties to the full extent permitted by the General Corporation Law of Delaware (the “GCL”). Section 102(b)(7) of the GCL enables a corporation in its certificate of incorporation to eliminate or limit the personal liability of members of its board of directors or officers to the corporation or its shareholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, provided that the corporation shall not eliminate or limit the liability of: (i) a director or officer breaching his or her duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders; (ii) a director or officer failing to act in good faith, engaging in intentional misconduct or knowingly violating the law; (iii) a director paying an unlawful dividend or approving an unlawful stock purchase or redemption; (iv) a director or officer obtaining an improper personal benefit; or (v) an officer in any action by or in the right of the corporation.

Section 145 of the GCL provides that a corporation may indemnify directors and officers as well as other employees and agents against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with specified actions, suits or proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation - a “derivative action”), if they acted in good faith and in a manner they reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe their conduct was unlawful. A similar standard is applicable in the case of derivative actions, except that indemnification only extends to expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such action, and the statute requires court approval before there can be any indemnification where the person seeking indemnification has been found liable to the corporation. Indemnification provided pursuant to Section 145 of the GCL is not exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled to under any bylaw, agreement, disinterested director vote, stockholder vote or otherwise.

The Registrant’s Fifth Amended and Restated Bylaws provide that Biogen shall provide, to the fullest extent authorized by the GCL, indemnification against all expense, liability and loss (including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties, and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by its directors, officers, or any other person who is or was serving at the request of Biogen as a director, officer, employee or agent of another related entity and shall advance expenses to such persons, in respect of any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he or she is or was serving in such capacity.

In addition, Biogen maintains directors’ and officers’ liability insurance which insures against certain liabilities that directors or officers of Biogen may incur in such capacities.

Biogen also has in place agreements with certain of its officers and directors which affirm Biogen’s obligation to indemnify them to the fullest extent permitted by law and contain various procedural and other provisions which expand the protection afforded by Biogen’s Bylaws.

Item 7. Exemption From Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

The exhibits listed on the Exhibit Index immediately preceding such exhibits are filed as part of this Registration Statement.

Item 9. Undertakings.

(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of a prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Filing Fee Table” in the effective registration statement;

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) above shall not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

SIGNATURES AND POWER OF ATTORNEY

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Cambridge, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on June 20, 2024.

BIOGEN INC.
By:	/s/ Christopher A. Viehbacher
	Christopher A. Viehbacher
	President and Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on June 20, 2024.

Further, we, the undersigned officers and directors of the Registrant hereby severally constitute and appoint Christopher A. Viehbacher, Michael R. McDonnell and Susan H. Alexander and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys with full power to them, and each of them singly, to sign for us and in our names in the capacities as indicated, any and all amendments or supplements to this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of the Registrant, including post-effective amendments to the Registration Statement, and generally to do all such things in connection therewith in our name and on our behalf in our capacities as indicated to enable the Registrant to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and all requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming our signatures as they may be signed by our said attorneys or any of them, to any and all amendments.

Name	Capacity
/s/ Christopher A. Viehbacher Christopher A. Viehbacher	Director, President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Michael R. McDonnell Michael R. McDonnell	Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)
/s/ Robin C. Kramer Robin C. Kramer	Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer)
/s/ Caroline D. Dorsa Caroline D. Dorsa	Director and Chair of the Board of Directors
/s/ Maria C. Freire Maria C. Freire	Director
/s/ William A. Hawkins William A. Hawkins	Director
/s/ Susan K. Langer Susan K. Langer	Director
/s/ Jesus B. Mantas Jesus B. Mantas	Director
/s/ Monish Patolawala Monish Patolawala	Director
/s/ Eric K. Rowinsky	Director
Eric K. Rowinsky
/s/ Stephen A. Sherwin	Director
Stephen A. Sherwin

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number*	Description
4.1	Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2012.
4.2	Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on March 27, 2015.
4.3	Certificate of Amendment of Biogen Inc.’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June 8, 2021.
4.4+	Certificate of Amendment of Biogen Inc.’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended.
4.5	Fifth Amended and Restated Bylaws. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on December 12, 2023.
5.1+	Opinion of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP.
23.1+	Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm.
23.2+	Consent of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP (included in its opinion in Exhibit 5.1).
24.1+	Power of Attorney (contained in Part II hereof under Signatures and Power of Attorney).
99.1	Biogen Inc. 2024 Omnibus Equity Plan. Incorporated by reference to Appendix C to the Registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed on April 26, 2024.
99.2	Biogen Inc. 2024 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Incorporated by reference to Appendix D to the Registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed on April 26, 2024.
107+	Filing Fee Table.

* Unless otherwise indicated, exhibits were previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Commission File Number 000-19311 and are incorporated herein by reference.

+ Filed herewith.