Amgen Inc. (formerly Applied Molecular Genetics Inc.) is an American multinational
biopharmaceutical
A biopharmaceutical, also known as a biological medical product, or biologic, is any pharmaceutical drug product manufactured in, extracted from, or semisynthesized from biological sources. Different from totally synthesized pharmaceuticals, t ...
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
headquartered in
Thousand Oaks, California
Thousand Oaks is the second-largest city in Ventura County, California, located in the northwestern part of Greater Los Angeles. Approximately from the city of Los Angeles and from Downtown Los Angeles, it is named after the many oak trees pr ...
. As one of the world's largest independent
biotechnology
Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...
companies, Amgen has approximately 24,000 staff in total as of 2022.
The name "AMGen" is a
portmanteau
In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together. of the company's original name, Applied Molecular Genetics, which became the official name of the company in 1983 (three years after incorporation and coincident with its
initial public offering
An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investm ...
). The company is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol "AMGN", as well as a component of the
Nasdaq-100
The Nasdaq-100 (NDX) is a stock market index made up of equity securities issued by 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange. It is a modified capitalization-weighted index. The stocks' weights in the inde ...
, the
Dow Jones Industrial Average
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Dow Jones, or simply the Dow (), is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States.
The DJIA is one of the oldest and most commonly followed equity indice ...
, and the
S&P 100
The Standard and Poor's 100, or simply the S&P 100, is a stock market index of United States stocks maintained by Standard & Poor's.
The S&P 100 is a subset of the S&P 500 and the S&P 1500, and holds stocks that tend to be the largest and most ...
and
500 500 may refer to:
* 500 (number)
* 500 BC
* AD 500
Buildings and places
* 500 Boylston Street in Boston
* 500 Brickell in Miami
* 500 Capitol Mall in Sacramento
* 500 Fifth Avenue
* 500 Renaissance Center, one of seven buildings in the GM ...
indices.
History

Amgen was established in Thousand Oaks in 1980, as Applied Molecular Genetics.
[Baker, Pam (2002). ''Thousand Oaks Westlake Village: A Contemporary Portrait''. Community Communications, Inc., p. 37. .] Amgen was backed by a small group of venture capitalists, and its early focus was on
recombinant DNA
Recombinant DNA (rDNA) molecules are DNA molecules formed by laboratory methods of genetic recombination (such as molecular cloning) that bring together genetic material from multiple sources, creating sequences that would not otherwise be fo ...
technology and recombinant human
insulin
Insulin (, from Latin ''insula'', 'island') is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the insulin (''INS)'' gene. It is the main Anabolism, anabolic hormone of the body. It regulates the metabol ...
.
Its initial scientific advisory board consisted of
Norman Davidson,
Leroy Hood
Leroy "Lee" Edward Hood (born October 10, 1938) is an American biologist who has served on the faculties at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the University of Washington. Hood has developed ground-breaking scientific instrumen ...
,
Arnold Berk,
John Carbon,
Robert Schimke,
Arno Motulsky,
Marvin H. Caruthers, and Dave Gibson. In October 1980, Amgen named
George Rathmann its first president and chief executive officer.
On June 17, 1983, Amgen went public, selling two million
common shares
Common stock is a form of corporate equity ownership, a type of security. The terms voting share and ordinary share are also used frequently outside of the United States. They are known as equity shares or ordinary shares in the UK and other Com ...
and raising nearly $40 million. That same year, after more than two years of work, an Amgen research team led by
Fu-Kuen Lin had a breakthrough in finding and cloning the
erythropoietin
Erythropoietin (; EPO), also known as erythropoetin, haematopoietin, or haemopoietin, is a glycoprotein cytokine secreted mainly by the kidneys in response to cellular hypoxia; it stimulates red blood cell production ( erythropoiesis) in th ...
gene, a protein created in the kidney that stimulates
red blood cell
Red blood cells (RBCs), referred to as erythrocytes (, with -''cyte'' translated as 'cell' in modern usage) in academia and medical publishing, also known as red cells, erythroid cells, and rarely haematids, are the most common type of blood cel ...
production. Lin's team created what would become Epogen (
epoetin alfa
Epoetin alfa, sold under the brand name Epogen among others, is a human erythropoietin produced in cell culture using recombinant DNA technology. Epoetin alfa is an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent. It stimulates erythropoiesis (increasing red ...
).
1984: In June, Amgen and Kirin formed a joint venture giving Kirin the rights to Epogen in Japan. A year later, Amgen researcher Larry Souza and his team cloned
granulocyte colony-stimulating factor
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF or GCSF), also known as colony-stimulating factor 3 (CSF 3), is a glycoprotein that stimulates the bone marrow to produce granulocytes and stem cells and release them into the bloodstream.
Function ...
(G-CSF), leading to the development of Neupogen (
filgrastim
Filgrastim, sold under the brand name Neupogen among others, is a medication used to treat low neutrophil count. Low neutrophil counts may occur with HIV/AIDS, following chemotherapy or radiation poisoning, or be of an unknown cause. It may ...
).
In October 1988,
Gordon Binder was named CEO, succeeding George Rathmann. The following year, in 1989, Amgen received approval for the first recombinant human erythropoetin product, Epogen (
epoetin alfa
Epoetin alfa, sold under the brand name Epogen among others, is a human erythropoietin produced in cell culture using recombinant DNA technology. Epoetin alfa is an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent. It stimulates erythropoiesis (increasing red ...
).
In February 1991, Amgen received FDA approval for Neupogen for the prevention of infections in patients whose immune systems are suppressed due to cancer chemotherapy.
Amgen opened a new manufacturing facility in
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, in March 1993, which later became the company's flagship manufacturing site.
In 1994, Amgen became the fifth company to receive the
U.S. Department of Commerce
The United States Department of Commerce (DOC) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for gathering data for business and governmental decision making, establishing industrial standards, catalyzing econo ...
's
National Medal of Technology and Innovation
The National Medal of Technology and Innovation (formerly the National Medal of Technology) is an honor granted by the president of the United States to American inventors and innovators who have made significant contributions to the development ...
, in recognition of its work developing medicines to improve quality of life for kidney and cancer patients. Also around this time, Amgen researcher Steve Elliott and his team added more sugar molecules to erythropoietin, causing it to remain in the body longer. This led to the development of Aranesp (
darbepoetin alfa).
2000-2014
Binder was succeeded as CEO by
Kevin W. Sharer in 2000. Robert A. Bradway became Amgen's president and chief executive officer in May 2012, following Sharer's retirement.
June 6, 2010, Amgen received
FDA
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...
approval for Prolia, a protein drug for the treatment of post-menopausal osteoporosis. In clinical trials, Prolia reduced the rate of vertebral fractures by 61% and the risk of hip fractures by 40%. In November 2010 the
FDA
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...
approved Xgeva for the prevention of complications of bone metastases in patients with solid tumors. The clinical trials primarily enrolled patients with breast or prostate cancer.
In March 2011, Amgen acquired a manufacturing facility near Dublin, Ireland, in March.
Amgen also opened an affiliate in China in 2013.
In November 2014 the company announced it was halting all trials of
rilotumumab in advanced
gastric cancer
Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is a malignant tumor of the stomach. It is a cancer that develops in the lining of the stomach. Most cases of stomach cancers are gastric carcinomas, which can be divided into a number of subtypes ...
patients after one of the trials found more deaths in those who took the compound with chemotherapy, than those without. Later in the same week, the company in conjunction with
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca plc () (AZ) is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with its headquarters at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in Cambridge, UK. It has a portfolio of products for major diseases in areas includi ...
reported positive results for
brodalumab
Brodalumab, sold under the brand name Siliq in the US and Kyntheum in the EU, is a human monoclonal antibody designed for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
In February 2017, it received US FDA approval to treat moderate to severe plaque ...
in a Phase III trial comparing the compound with
ustekinumab
Ustekinumab, sold under the brand name Stelara among others, is a monoclonal antibody medication used for the treatment of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, Psoriasis, plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, targeting both IL-12 and IL-23. ...
and a
placebo
A placebo ( ) can be roughly defined as a sham medical treatment. Common placebos include inert tablets (like sugar pills), inert injections (like saline), sham surgery, and other procedures.
Placebos are used in randomized clinical trials ...
in treating
psoriasis
Psoriasis is a long-lasting, noncontagious autoimmune disease characterized by patches of abnormal skin. These areas are red, pink, or purple, dry, itchy, and scaly. Psoriasis varies in severity from small localized patches to complete b ...
. In the same month, construction was completed on Amgen's next-generation biomanufacturing facility in Singapore. Blincyto (
blinatumomab) was approved by the FDA in December of that year.
2015-2020
The company announced in March 2015 that it would license its Phase II candidate drug
AMG 714 to developer
Celimmune who plan to develop the anti-IL-15
monoclonal antibody
A monoclonal antibody (mAb, more rarely called moAb) is an antibody produced from a cell lineage made by cloning a unique white blood cell. All subsequent antibodies derived this way trace back to a unique parent cell.
Monoclonal antibodie ...
for treatment against diet nonresponsive
celiac disease
Coeliac disease (British English) or celiac disease (American English) is a long-term autoimmune disorder, primarily affecting the small intestine. Patients develop intolerance to gluten, which is present in foods such as wheat, rye, spel ...
and refractory celiac disease. In August of that year, Repatha (
evolocumab
Evolocumab, sold under the brand name Repatha, is a monoclonal antibody that is an immunotherapy medication for the treatment of hyperlipidemia.
Evolocumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that inhibits proprotein convertase subtilisin/ke ...
) was approved by the FDA in August.
In 2016, the company announced it would purchase the rights to
Boehringer Ingelheim
C.H. Boehringer Sohn AG & Co. is the parent company of the Boehringer Ingelheim group, which was founded in 1885 by Albert Boehringer (1861–1939) in Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany. As of 2018, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world's List of la ...
s Phase I bispecific T-cell engager compound (BI 836909, now AMG 420) for use in the treatment of
multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma (MM), also known as plasma cell myeloma and simply myeloma, is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that normally produces antibody, antibodies. Often, no symptoms are noticed initially. As it progresses, bone ...
. Also in September, the FDA approved Amjevita (
adalimumab
Adalimumab, sold under the brand name Humira and others, is a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug and monoclonal antibody used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn' ...
-atto).
The FDA approved Parsabiv in February 2017 and Mvasi (
bevacizumab
Bevacizumab, sold under the brand name Avastin among others, is a monoclonal antibody medication used to treat a number of types of cancers and a specific eye disease. For cancer, it is given by slow injection into a vein (intravenous) and use ...
-awwb) in September.
Amgen began constructing a next-generation
biomanufacturing Biomanufacturing (or bioproduction) is a type of manufacturing or biotechnology that utilizes biological systems to produce commercially important biomaterials and biomolecules for use in medicines, food and beverage processing, and industrial appli ...
plant at its
West Greenwich, Rhode Island, campus in July 2018.
In January 2019, Evenity (
romosozumab) received approval in Japan, followed by FDA approval in April. In June, Kanjinti (
trastuzumab
Trastuzumab, sold under the brand name Herceptin among others, is a monoclonal antibody used to treat breast cancer and stomach cancer. It is specifically used for cancer that is HER2 receptor positive. It may be used by itself or together ...
-anns) was approved by the FDA.
In November, Amgen awarded a $2 million grant to the
CDC Foundation to launch the latter's EmPOWERED Health Program, promoting patient engagement in decision making for their cancer treatment. In December, the FDA approved Avsola (
infliximab
Infliximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody, sold under the brand name Remicade among others, is a medication used to treat a number of autoimmune diseases. This includes Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing ...
-axxq).
Amgen established Amgen K.K. as the company's wholly-owned affiliate in Japan in April 2020. The company announced in July that the
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (in case citations, Fed. Cir. or C.A.F.C.) is one of the 13 United States courts of appeals. It has special appellate jurisdiction over certain categories of cases in the U.S. federa ...
had upheld the validity of two Amgen patents that described and claimed Enbrel and methods for making it. The appellate court affirmed an August 2019 decision by the
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (in case citations, D.N.J.) is a federal court in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Third Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. gover ...
and rejected
Sandoz
Sandoz Group AG is a Swiss company that focuses on generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars. Prior to October 2023, it was part of a division of Novartis that was established in 2003, when Novartis united all of its generics businesses under the ...
's attempt to invalidate the patents on Enbrel. Amgen joined the
Dow Jones Industrial Average
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Dow Jones, or simply the Dow (), is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States.
The DJIA is one of the oldest and most commonly followed equity indice ...
on August 24, 2020. In September, Amgen and
Eli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company, Trade name, doing business as Lilly, is an American multinational Medication, pharmaceutical company headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, with offices in 18 countries. Its products are sold in approximately 125 count ...
announced a global manufacturing collaboration for
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
antibody therapies. Later that month, the FDA approved Riabni (
rituximab
Rituximab, sold under the brand name Rituxan among others, is a monoclonal antibody medication used to treat certain autoimmune diseases and types of cancer. It is used for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (in children and ad ...
-arrx), a biosimilar to Rituxan.
The company announced it would acquire Five Prime Therapeutics and its lead candidate,
bemarituzumab, for $1.9 billion in March 2021. In the same month, Amgen acquired Rodeo Therapeutics for $720 million. The FDA approved Amgen's
Lumakras in May for treatment of patients with KRAS-G12C-mutated non-small cell lung cancer.
In June, Amgen and
Kyowa Kirin announced joint plans to develop and commercialize a treatment for
atopic dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as atopic eczema, is a long-term type of inflammation of the skin. Atopic dermatitis is also often called simply eczema but the same term is also used to refer to dermatitis, the larger group of skin conditi ...
. In October, Amgen and Neumora Therapeutics announced a research and development collaboration focused on novel precision therapies for certain brain diseases. Amgen began construction on a new biomanufacturing plant in
New Albany, Ohio
New Albany is a City (United States), city in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is located northeast of the state capital of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus. Most of the city is located in Franklin County, Ohio, Franklin County and a small portion extends i ...
, in November. In December, the FDA approved Amgen and AstraZeneca's Tezspire (
tezepelumab) for severe
asthma
Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...
.
The FDA also approved Amgen's Otezla for adults with plaque
psoriasis
Psoriasis is a long-lasting, noncontagious autoimmune disease characterized by patches of abnormal skin. These areas are red, pink, or purple, dry, itchy, and scaly. Psoriasis varies in severity from small localized patches to complete b ...
of any severity level.
Amgen announced a research collaboration in January 2022 with Generate Biomedicines across multiple modalities and several therapeutic areas for up to $1.9 billion. The company also launched a multi-target collaboration with
Arrakis Therapeutics to identify novel targeted RNA degrader therapeutics. The next month, Amgen entered a multi-year collaboration with Plexium to discover novel targeted protein degradation therapies. Also in February, Amgen issued its first
green bond
A green bond is a fixed-income financial instrument ( bond) which is used to fund projects that have positive environmental benefits. When referring to climate change mitigation projects they are also known as ''climate bonds''. Green bonds follow ...
to fund various environmentally friendly initiatives across the company. The company broke ground on a new manufacturing facility in
Holly Springs, North Carolina, in March. In August, the company agreed to acquire ChemoCentryx for $3.7 billion in an all-cash deal. ChemoCentryx is the maker of
Tavneos—a drug treatment for rare diseases called anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated
vasculitis
Vasculitis is a group of disorders that destroy blood vessels by inflammation. Both artery, arteries and veins are affected. Lymphangitis (inflammation of lymphatic vessels) is sometimes considered a type of vasculitis. Vasculitis is primarily c ...
—which was approved last year. In December, the company announced it would acquire
Horizon Therapeutics
Horizon Therapeutics plc was a biopharmaceutical company focused on researching, developing, and commercializing medicines that address critical needs for people impacted by rare and rheumatic diseases. Horizon primarily markets products in the U ...
for $27.8 billion ($116.50 in cash for each Horizon share, a 20% premium) expanding its rare disease treatments.
Amgen completed the acquisition of
Horizon Therapeutics
Horizon Therapeutics plc was a biopharmaceutical company focused on researching, developing, and commercializing medicines that address critical needs for people impacted by rare and rheumatic diseases. Horizon primarily markets products in the U ...
in October 2023. In December, announced plans to use artificial intelligence in partnership with Amazon Web Services to help discover and create medicines.
Amgen will use Amazon's SageMaker machine learning service to help with the manufacturing process.
That same month, it was confirmed that Amgen would sponsor the 2024 Irish Open as the title sponsor.
Amgen Foundation
In October 2017, the Amgen Foundation pledged $3 million to
Khan Academy
Khan Academy is an American non-profit educational organization created in 2006 by Sal Khan. Its goal is to create a set of online tools that help educate students. The organization produces short video lessons. Its website also includes suppl ...
to support the development of free online biology lessons. In July 2020, Amgen granted an additional $3 million Khan Academy to support educational equity and science learning.
In January 2020, the Amgen Foundation and
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
debuted LabXchange, a free online science education platform. Amgen and the Amgen Foundation announced a commitment of up to $12.5 million to support COVID-19 relief efforts in March.
Acquisitions
*Amgen
(Founded 1983 as Applied Molecular Genetics)
**Synergen Inc
(Acq 1994)
**Kinetix Pharmaceuticals Inc
(Acq 2000)
**Immunex Corporation
(Acq 2002)
**Tularik Inc
(Acq 2004)
**Abgenix Inc
(Acq 2006)
**Avidia Inc
(Acq 2006)
**Alantos Pharmaceuticals
(Acq 2007)
**Ilypsa Inc
(Acq 2007)
**BioVex Group Inc
(Acq 2011)
**Micromet Inc
(Acq 2012)
**Mustafa Nevzat İlaç
(Acq 2012)
**KAI Pharmaceuticals
(Acq 2012)
**
deCODE genetics
deCODE genetics () is a biopharmaceutical company based in Reykjavík, Iceland. The company was founded in 1996 by Kári Stefánsson with the aim of using population genetics studies to identify variations in the human genome associated with c ...
(Acq 2012)
**
Onyx Pharmaceuticals
Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. has been a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in South San Francisco, California. The company developed and marketed medicines for the treatment of cancer. Onyx was founded in 1992 by Kevin J. Kinsella and Frank M ...
(Acq 2013)
***
Proteolix(Acq 2009)
**NextCODE genetics
(Spun off 2013)
**Dezima Pharma
(Acq 2015)
**Catherex
(Acq 2015)
**Nuevolution AB
(Acq 2019)
**Otezla (
apremilast
Apremilast, sold under the brand name Otezla among others, is a medication for the treatment of certain types of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The drug acts as a selective inhibitor of the enzyme phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4). It is taken by ...
)
(Acq 2019)
**Five Prime Therapeutics
(Acq 2021)
**Rodeo Therapeutics Corporation
(Acq 2021)
**Teneobio
(Acq 2021)
**ChemoCentryx
(Acq 2022)
**
Horizon Therapeutics
Horizon Therapeutics plc was a biopharmaceutical company focused on researching, developing, and commercializing medicines that address critical needs for people impacted by rare and rheumatic diseases. Horizon primarily markets products in the U ...
(Acq 2023)
***Vidara Therapeutics International
(Acq 2014)
***Hyperion Therapeutics
(Acq 2015)
***Crealta Holdings
(Acq 2015)
***Raptor Pharmaceutical
(Acq 2016)
***River Vision Development Corp.
(Acq 2017)
***Viela Bio Inc
(Acq 2021)
Products
Amgen's
approved drug
An approved drug is a Medicine, medicinal preparation that has been validated for a therapeutic use by a Regulation of therapeutic goods, ruling authority of a government. This process is usually specific by country, unless specified otherwise.
...
s or therapeutic biologicals include:
*Aimovig (
erenumab-aooe) for
migraine headaches (FDA approved May 2018)
*Amjevita (
adalimumab
Adalimumab, sold under the brand name Humira and others, is a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug and monoclonal antibody used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn' ...
)
(FDA approved September 2016)
*Aranesp (
darbepoetin alfa) for
anemia
Anemia (also spelt anaemia in British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen. This can be due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin availabl ...
(FDA approval in September 2001)
*Blincyto (
blinatumomab for the treatment of
acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a cancer of the Lymphocyte, lymphoid line of blood cells characterized by the development of large numbers of lymphoblast, immature lymphocytes. Symptoms may include feeling tired, pale skin color, fever, ...
)
*Corlanor (
ivabradine
Ivabradine, sold under the brand name Procoralan among others, is a medication, which is a pacemaker current (I''f'') inhibitor, used for the symptomatic management of heart-related chest pain and heart failure. Patients who qualify for use o ...
)
*Enbrel (
etanercept
Etanercept, sold under the brand name Enbrel among others, is a biologic medical product that is used to treat autoimmune diseases by interfering with tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a soluble inflammatory cytokine, by acting as a TNF inhibitor. ...
) for various forms of
arthritis
Arthritis is a general medical term used to describe a disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, Joint effusion, swelling, and decreased range of motion of ...
*Epogen (
erythropoietin
Erythropoietin (; EPO), also known as erythropoetin, haematopoietin, or haemopoietin, is a glycoprotein cytokine secreted mainly by the kidneys in response to cellular hypoxia; it stimulates red blood cell production ( erythropoiesis) in th ...
) for
anemia
Anemia (also spelt anaemia in British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen. This can be due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin availabl ...
*Evenity (
romosozumab-aqqg) for
osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass, micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue leading to more porous bone, and consequent increase in Bone fracture, fracture risk.
It is the most common reason f ...
*Imlygic (
talimogene laherparepvec
Talimogene laherparepvec, sold under the brand name Imlygic among others, is a biopharmaceutical medication used to treat melanoma that cannot be operated on; it is injected directly into a subset of lesions which generates a systemic immune re ...
) for local treatment of unresectable cutaneous, subcutaneous, and nodal lesions in melanoma recurrent after initial surgery (FDA approved October 2015)
*Kanjinti (
trastuzumab
Trastuzumab, sold under the brand name Herceptin among others, is a monoclonal antibody used to treat breast cancer and stomach cancer. It is specifically used for cancer that is HER2 receptor positive. It may be used by itself or together ...
-anns)
(FDA approved June 2019)
*Krystexxa (
pegloticase)
*Kyprolis (
carfilzomib
Carfilzomib, sold under the brand name Kyprolis, is an anti-cancer medication acting as a selective proteasome inhibitor. Chemically, it is a tetrapeptide epoxyketone and an analog of epoxomicin. It was developed by Onyx Pharmaceuticals.
The U ...
)
*Lumakras (
sotorasib)
*Mvasi (
bevacizumab
Bevacizumab, sold under the brand name Avastin among others, is a monoclonal antibody medication used to treat a number of types of cancers and a specific eye disease. For cancer, it is given by slow injection into a vein (intravenous) and use ...
-awwb)
*Neulasta (
pegfilgrastim) for
neutropenia
Neutropenia is an abnormally low concentration of neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) in the blood. Neutrophils make up the majority of circulating white blood cells and serve as the primary defense against infections by destroying bacteria ...
(FDA approved 2002)
*Neupogen (
granulocyte colony-stimulating factor
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF or GCSF), also known as colony-stimulating factor 3 (CSF 3), is a glycoprotein that stimulates the bone marrow to produce granulocytes and stem cells and release them into the bloodstream.
Function ...
) for
neutropenia
Neutropenia is an abnormally low concentration of neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) in the blood. Neutrophils make up the majority of circulating white blood cells and serve as the primary defense against infections by destroying bacteria ...
*Nplate (
romiplostim
Romiplostim, sold under the brand name Nplate among others, is a fusion protein analog of thrombopoietin, a hormone that regulates platelet production.
The most common side effects in adults include headache, infections of the nose and throat, ...
) for chronic
immune thrombocytopenic purpura
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), also known as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura or immune thrombocytopenia, is an autoimmune primary disorder of hemostasis characterized by a low platelet count in the absence of other causes. ITP often ...
(FDA approved 2008)
*Otezla (
apremilast
Apremilast, sold under the brand name Otezla among others, is a medication for the treatment of certain types of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The drug acts as a selective inhibitor of the enzyme phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4). It is taken by ...
)
*Parsabiv (
etelcalcetide)
*Prolia (
denosumab
Denosumab, sold under the brand name Prolia among others, is a human monoclonal antibody used for the treatment of osteoporosis, treatment-induced bone loss, metastasis, metastases to bone, and giant cell tumor of bone.
The most common side ef ...
) for postmenopausal
osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass, micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue leading to more porous bone, and consequent increase in Bone fracture, fracture risk.
It is the most common reason f ...
*Repatha (
evolocumab
Evolocumab, sold under the brand name Repatha, is a monoclonal antibody that is an immunotherapy medication for the treatment of hyperlipidemia.
Evolocumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that inhibits proprotein convertase subtilisin/ke ...
)
*Riabni (
rituximab
Rituximab, sold under the brand name Rituxan among others, is a monoclonal antibody medication used to treat certain autoimmune diseases and types of cancer. It is used for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (in children and ad ...
-arrx)
*Sensipar/Mimpara (
cinacalcet for primary and
secondary hyperparathyroidism
Secondary hyperparathyroidism is the medical condition of excessive secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH) by the parathyroid glands in response to hypocalcemia (low blood calcium levels), with resultant hyperplasia of these glands. This disorde ...
, a mineral metabolism complication common in patients with kidney failure) (FDA approved 2004)
*Tepezza (
teprotumumab)
*Tezspire (
tezepelumab-ekko)
*Tavneos (
avacopan)
*Uplizna (
inebilizumab)
*Vectibix (
panitumumab
Panitumumab, sold under the brand name Vectibix, is a fully human monoclonal antibody specific to the epidermal growth factor receptor (also known as ''EGF receptor'', ''EGFR'', ''ErbB-1'' and ''HER1'' in humans).
Panitumumab is manufactured by ...
for
colon cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel ...
) (FDA approved 2006)
*Xgeva (
denosumab
Denosumab, sold under the brand name Prolia among others, is a human monoclonal antibody used for the treatment of osteoporosis, treatment-induced bone loss, metastasis, metastases to bone, and giant cell tumor of bone.
The most common side ef ...
) for the prevention of skeletal-related events (pathological fracture, radiation to bone, spinal cord compression or surgery to bone in adults with bone metastases from solid tumors)
Products developed and then sold off
* Kepivance (
palifermin
Palifermin (trade name Kepivance, marketed by Biovitrum) is a truncated human recombinant keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) produced in ''Escherichia coli''. KGF stimulates the growth of cells that line the surface of the mouth and intestinal tra ...
for
oral mucositis
Mucositis is the painful inflammation and ulceration of the mucous membranes lining the digestive tract, usually as an adverse effect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment for cancer. Mucositis can occur anywhere along the gastrointestinal (G ...
, sold to Biovitrium, now
Swedish Orphan Biovitrum, in December 2008
[Amgen press office]
Biovitrum Closes Product Acquisition Deal with Amgen
*StemGen (
ancestim) for use in combination with
filgrastim
Filgrastim, sold under the brand name Neupogen among others, is a medication used to treat low neutrophil count. Low neutrophil counts may occur with HIV/AIDS, following chemotherapy or radiation poisoning, or be of an unknown cause. It may ...
for mobilizing peripheral
hematopoietic stem cells
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the stem cells that give rise to other blood cells. This process is called haematopoiesis. In vertebrates, the first definitive HSCs arise from the ventral endothelial wall of the embryonic aorta within the ...
) (sold to Biovitrium, now Swedish Orphan Biovitrum, in December 2008)
[
*Kineret (]anakinra
Anakinra, sold under the brand name Kineret, is a biopharmaceutical medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes, familial Mediterranean fever, and Still's disease. It is a slightly modified recombin ...
) for rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects synovial joint, joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and h ...
, exclusively licensed to Biovitrium, now Swedish Orphan Biovitrum, in December 2008[
In 2019, the company's largest selling products were Enbrel (]etanercept
Etanercept, sold under the brand name Enbrel among others, is a biologic medical product that is used to treat autoimmune diseases by interfering with tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a soluble inflammatory cytokine, by acting as a TNF inhibitor. ...
), a tumor necrosis factor
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), formerly known as TNF-α, is a chemical messenger produced by the immune system that induces inflammation. TNF is produced primarily by activated macrophages, and induces inflammation by binding to its receptors o ...
blocker used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects synovial joint, joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and h ...
and other autoimmune diseases, and Neulasta ( pegfilgrastim), an immunostimulator
Immunostimulants, also known as immunostimulators, are substances (drugs and nutrients) that stimulate the immune system usually in a non-specific manner by inducing activation or increasing activity of any of its components. One notable example i ...
used to prevent infections in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy
Chemotherapy (often abbreviated chemo, sometimes CTX and CTx) is the type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (list of chemotherapeutic agents, chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) in a standard chemotherapy re ...
.
Pipeline and clinical trials
As of August 2022, Amgen had 17 clinical programs underway in Phase III, eight in Phase II, and 19 in Phase I.
In September 2019, FDA granted fast track designation to sotorasib for the treatment of metastatic non-small-cell lung carcinoma
Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), or non-small-cell lung carcinoma, is any type of epithelial lung cancer other than small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). NSCLC accounts for about 85% of all lung cancers. As a class, NSCLCs are relatively insensitiv ...
(NSCLC) with the KRAS G12C mutation.
In August 2020, Amgen,