Now Amgen went public with an IPO in 1983. And as stated by Dr. Rubinfeld in the AMBS Shareholders meeting yesterday Epogen was the number 8 product in the pipeline and turned out to be the money maker that allowed them to grow and acquire other companys and products.
Ambs has a pipeline like many have never seen. Dr Rubinfeld said himself that Manf could be the greatest thing he has seen in 45 years. Think about that, that was before he founded Amgen.
Here is a good look at Amgen's history.
AMGen Corporate Logo, 1983
Amgen's corporate Gulfstream V departs Fox Field, Lancaster, California
The word AMGen is a portmanteau 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). The company's first chief executive officer, from 1980, was George B. Rathmann, followed by Gordon M. Binder in 1988,[2] followed by Kevin W. Sharer in 2000.[3] Robert A. Bradway became Amgen’s president and chief executive officer in May 2012 following Sharer's retirement.[4]
The company has made at least five major corporate acquisitions.
In June 2013, Amgen offered to buy the shares of Onyx Pharmaceuticals for $120 per share, sending Onyx shares up by around 30% after the news was announced.[5]
Timeline[edit]
1989. Amgen received approval for the first recombinant human erythropoetin product, Epogen, for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic kidney failure. Epogen (also marketed by Johnson and Johnson under the tradename Procrit) would later be approved for anemia due to cancer chemotherapy, anemia due to treatment with certain HIV drugs, and for the reduction of the need for transfusions associated with surgery.[6]
1991. 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.[7] A 2002 meta-analysis found that Neupogen treatment reduced the risk of febrile neutropenia by 38%, reduced the risk of documented infection by 49%, and reduced the risk of infection-related mortality by 40%.[8]
1998. In November 1998, Amgen received approval for Enbrel (etanercept), the first rheumatoid arthritis drug targeting tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha).[9] A 2006 assessment by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence of the United Kingdom concluded that etanercept and related rheumatoid arthritis drugs later introduced by competitors "are effective treatments compared with placebo for RA patients who are not well controlled by conventional DMARDs, improving control of symptoms, improving physical function, and slowing radiographic changes in joints."[10] A more recent study demonstrated that compared to traditional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, treatment with etanercept improved survival, reduced cardiovascular events and reduced the incidence of hematological cancers.[11]
2008. Forbes magazine ranks AMGEN CEO Kevin Sharer 169 out of 175. Rankings were based on performance versus pay metrics.[dead link][12]
2009. Sen. Edward Kennedy introduced a bill granting AMGEN and other biotech companies more than 13 years of marketing exclusivity. Kennedy Institute receives $5 million from Amgen.[13]
2010. On June 6, 2010 Amgen received FDA approval for Prolia, a protein drug for the treatment of post-menopausal osteoporosis.[14] In clinical trials, Prolia reduced the rate of vertebral fractures by 61% and the risk of hip fractures by 40%.[15]
2010 In November 2010 the FDA approved Xgeva for the prevention of complications of bone metastases in patients with solid tumors.[16] The clinical trials primarily enrolled patients with breast or prostate cancer.
Acquisition history[edit]
1994 – Synergen, Inc.[27]
2000 – Kinetix Pharmaceuticals, Inc.[28]
2002 – Immunex Corporation[29][30]
2004 – Tularik, Inc.[31]
2006 – Abgenix, Inc.[32][33][34]
2006 – Avidia, Inc.[35]
2007 – Ilypsa, Inc.[36]
2007 – Alantos Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc.[36]
2011 – BioVex Group, Inc.[37]
2011 – Laboratório Químico Farmacêutico Bergamo Ltda.[38]
2012 – Micromet, Inc.[39]
2012 – Mustafa Nevzat Ilaç[40][41]
2012 – KAI Pharmaceuticals[42]
2012 – deCODE genetics
2013 – Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc.[43]
Products[edit]
As of December, 2013, Amgen had twelve approved drugs or therapeutic biologicals for seventeen conditions (conditions lists are highly generalized; see each article for more detail):
Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa) (for anemia)
Enbrel (Etanercept) (for various forms of arthritis)
Epogen (Epoetin) (also known as Procrit; for anemia)
Neulasta (PEG Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor or "Pegfilgrastim" (for neutropenia)
Neupogen (Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor) (for neutropenia)
Nplate (Romiplostim) (for chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura)
Prolia (denosumab) (for postmenopausal osteoporosis)
Sensipar/Mimpara (Cinacalcet) (for Primary & Secondary hyperparathyroidism, a mineral metabolism complication common in patients with kidney failure)
Vectibix (Panitumumab) (for colon cancer)
XGEVA (denosumab) (for the prevention of skeletal-related events (SREs) (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[edit]
Kepivance (Palifermin) (for oral mucositis) (sold to Biovitrium, now Swedish Orphan Biovitrum, in December 2008)[44]
StemGen (Ancestim) (for use in combination with filgrastim for mobilizing peripheral hematopoietic stem cells[45]) (sold to Biovitrium, now Swedish Orphan Biovitrum, in December 2008)[44]
Kineret (Anakinra) (for rheumatoid arthritis) (exclusively licensed to Biovitrium, now Swedish Orphan Biovitrum, in December 2008)[44]
