Alkermes says it hasn't decided on move

Alkermes Inc. said a published report that it is considering moving from Cambridge to Waltham is premature.

According to the Boston Business Journal, the Cambridge biotech is in talks to lease up to 100,000 square feet at 850 Winter St. in Waltham and sublet its headquarters on Sidney Street in Cambridge. The company's lease in Cambridge runs through 2012, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. But Alkermes spokeswoman Rebecca Peterson said the firm is still considering an array of options and has made no decision to move to Waltham.

"It's pure speculation,'' Peterson said. "We're exploring a plethora of opportunities."

If Alkermes does eventually move, it would add to the list of Cambridge biotechs that have headed to the suburbs in search of cheaper rents.

Biogen Idec Inc., one of the state's largest biotech companies, recently said it will move its corporate headquarters from Cambridge to Weston in 2010. Shire Human Genetic Therapies is in the process of moving from to Lexington. Amag Pharmaceuticals Inc. moved to Lexington last fall.
(By Todd Wallack, Globe staff)