CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Blueprint Medicines (NASDAQ: BPMC), a leader in discovering and developing highly selective kinase medicines for patients with genomically defined diseases, today announced that it has been added to the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index® (NASDAQ: NBI). The annual re-constitution of the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index will become effective upon market open on Monday, December 21, 2015.

The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index is designed to track the performance of a set of securities listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market ® (NASDAQ®) that are classified as either biotechnology or pharmaceutical according to the Industry Classification Benchmark (ICB). The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index is calculated under a modified capitalization-weighted methodology and ranked on an annual basis. All securities in the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index are listed on the NASDAQ Global Market or the NASDAQ Global Select Market and meet certain eligibility requirements. For more information about the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index, including eligibility criteria, visit www.nasdaq.com.

The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index is the basis for the iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology Index^(SM) Fund (NASDAQ: IBB), which seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index. In addition, options based on the iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology Index Fund trade on various exchanges.

About Blueprint Medicines

Blueprint Medicines is developing a new generation of highly selective and potent kinase medicines to improve the lives of patients with genomically defined diseases. The Company's approach is rooted in a deep understanding of the genetic blueprint of cancer and other diseases driven by the abnormal activation of kinases. Blueprint Medicines is advancing three programs in clinical development for subsets of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors, hepatocellular carcinoma and systemic mastocytosis, as well as multiple programs in research and preclinical development. For more information, please visit www.blueprintmedicines.com.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150605/221118LOGO

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blueprint-medicines-added-to-nasdaq-biotechnology-index-300194475.html

SOURCE Blueprint Medicines

Investor Relations - Hannah Deresiewicz, Stern Investor Relations, Inc., 212-362-1200, hannahd@sternir.com; or Media Relations - Dan Quinn, Ten Bridge Communications, Inc., 781-475-7974, dan@tenbridgecommunications.com